In Austria, there are about 260 professions one can train for. The Austrian online service called “employment market service” provides a dictionary with a total of 1,600 different types of professions. This huge variety provides a challenge for young people in making the right choice for a specific profession. To top it, young people have to make this important decision at a time that is probably the most confusing and turbulent time of their life. The training for a certain profession is a foundation of one’s career – even though one no longer expects the first profession to be performed for life.
The choice for a particular career is influenced by various factors. A prerequisite for a correct decision is exploring one’s own expectations, interests and skills. “My manual skills are more pronounced and I don’t like working in an office”, Fabian Kalser responds to the question why he has started a form worker apprenticeship at ALPINE. Mathias Gölz is a civil engineering apprentice with similar motivations: “I’m simply not a study-type of person, which is why I have decided for a skilled trade.” By considering one’s interests and aptitudes in the selection of a profession, chances are that the future job will be fun too and one’s expectations will not be disappointed.
If a specific profession is being looked at it’s a good idea to actually put it to a practical test. A practical course or an open-house day provides young people with an opportunity to gain insights into the daily job routine and find out for themselves whether they like that particular activity. This was a good experience for Alexander Aichinger, a 3rd-year bricklayer apprentice: “I completed a six-month holiday practical at ALPINE and was delighted with how the team welcomed me. This is why I have decided for an apprenticeship at this company.”
However, the final decision for a certain profession is not only based on rational criteria – emotional factors play a big role too. A sense of achievement is extremely motivating as bricklayer apprentice Daniel Miesbauer confirms: “At the end of the day you see the day’s work and you can see what has been achieved. Together with the foreman, I was at the construction site and immediately knew that this is what I wanted to do.” Obviously, a choice is spot on if rational thinking and gut feeling agree.
Once you have decided for a specific occupational field you have to find the right company. In doing so, young people particularly look at vocational perspectives and at what specific support is being provided for employees. This is where ALPINE shines – due to a dedicated personnel training and development programme. For example, 2nd-year civil-engineering apprentice Mario Fuchs was taken by the excellent opportunities for advancement: “There are exciting civil engineering projects and on the home page I have read that apprentices are supported from day one.”
According to a study of the Institute for Educational Research of Economy (Institutes für Bildungsforschung der Wirtschaft) – parents are important advisers in the choice for a career. Father and mother are consulted and asked for their vocational experiences. It is not uncommon that the offspring then follows in the parent’s footsteps. In some families, several generations worked in the same industry. The ALPINE bricklayer apprentice Stefan Bacher inherited his grandfather’s enthusiasm for construction: “Already my granddad was a bricklayer and when I was a child I have helped in constructing buildings.” Mathias Gölz heeded his father’s advice: “He was the one who has pointed out ALPINE and the company’s excellent reputation to me.”
Build your Future
Today, the construction industry is Austria’s largest employer of trainees. For some time, a significant increase in the number of trainees has been recorded after considerable decreases were noted between 1999 and 2003. In recent years, a campaign aimed at trainees (“Build your Future”) has been launched to ensure highly qualified new personnel in the future. This campaign increased the industry’s reputation and significantly increased the number of trainees. So-called Construction Academies have been established for all regions to ensure the quality of the training of trainees. Mag. Manfred Katzenschlager, MD of the head office for construction of the Federal Construction Guild (Bundesinnung Bau) and the Trade Association of the Construction Industry (Fachverbandes der Bauindustrie) comments on the challenges in personnel training and development: “New construction materials and new production processes require continuous further training in the construction industry too. Sustainable and ecological construction methods and a multitude of architectural solutions require extensive know-how, precision and the continuous willingness to acquire new knowledge.”
At ALPINE, emphasis is placed on high-quality and comprehensive training of trainees and on specific personal support. Additional motivation is provided by the good working atmosphere and by awarding outstanding achievements.
You can find more information on ALPINE’s training of trainees in the issue 1.2010 of our company magazine INSIDE.
