20 years of IKA Reutte: A milestone for technical training in Ausserfern

20 years of IKA Reutte: A milestone for technical training in Ausserfern

The IKA Reutte recently celebrated its 20th anniversary with an impressive “Technology Day”. This was not only a celebration, but also an opportunity to introduce the newly designed “Campus Technik”, which plays a central role in the region’s education sector.

The industries around Reutte are well positioned and contribute significantly to the economic stability of the Ausserfern region. Adequate specialist training is becoming increasingly important to be successful in this dynamic environment. The IKA, the engineering college for automation technology, has played a crucial role since it was founded 20 years ago. “The IKA is a success story,” says director Franz Pohler.

A milestone for training

Before the IKA was founded, the demand for technical specialists was unmet. The regional companies were already training their own specialists, but there was still a lack of qualified educational institutions. The introduction of the IKA filled this gap and contributed to the training of automation technology engineers. These professionals are in high demand on the job market and have numerous career options.

Nevertheless, the IKA alone was not able to meet the enormous needs of the economy. The desire for a higher technical college (HTL) became louder, which ultimately led to its establishment. Similar to the IKA, the HTL Reutte has developed into a popular educational institution.

Expanded educational offerings

Although the IKA and the HTL in Reutte are well attended, there remains an important gap in the field of electrical engineering. The Reutte Chamber of Commerce responded to this and set up an electrical academy that is specifically tailored to this gap in demand. This academy not only attracts students from the surrounding area, but also from all over western Austria, which underlines the high demand for electrical engineering qualifications.

The increasing number of registrations often leads to waiting times, which shows how urgently young people are interested in electrical engineering training. The Electrical Academy, the IKA and the HTL share similar resources and teachers, which favored the idea of ​​the “Campus Technik Reutte”.

Collaboration between educational institutions

However, the Reutte Technology Campus is not to be understood as a common location, but rather as a close cooperation between the three educational institutions: the IKA, the HTL and the Electrical Academy. The goal is to use synergies and combine resources efficiently. Head teachers and business representatives emphasize that this collaboration works excellently.

The IKA's anniversary was celebrated with a Technology Day, where interested visitors had the opportunity to get to know the facility and the new training approaches of the Technology Campus. As part of this event, various lectures were organized and there was an opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss future developments in an informal atmosphere.

A look at the IKA Reutte

Here are some important facts about the IKA:

• Das Ingenieur Kolleg für Automatisierungstechnik, IKA, wurde am 8. April 2003 gegründet.
• Der Unterricht begann am 9. September 2003 im Innovationszentrum in Pflach.
• Im Jahr 2011 übersiedelte die Schule in die Bahnhofstraße in Reutte, wo sie bis heute ansässig ist.
• Die Leitung hat seit 2015 Franz Pohler inne.
• Bis heute haben 350 Studierende ihre Ausbildung am IKA abgeschlossen.
• Das Ausbildungsangebot reicht von einem einsemestigen Vorbereitungslehrgang über einen fünfsemestrigen Aufbaulehrgang bis hin zu einem viersemestrigen Kolleg.

In the medium term, developments in the education sector show how essential training adapted to the needs of the economic landscape in and around Reutte is. Further details on these and other topics can be found at www.meinkreis.at, where the news of the day can also be subscribed to via WhatsApp.