Brilliant role models for building theory

Brilliant role models for building theory

At the European Professional Championships in Denmark in September, Austria's construction specialists once again showed their exceptional skills: the concrete construction team Lukas Miedler and Lukas Ritzberger took first place and with it a gold medal. Structural engineer Stefan Lanzl took sixth place and secured a “Medallion for Excellence” for exceptional achievements.
Austria's concrete builders are continuing an almost eerie series: since the concrete construction category was introduced in 2015, the red-white-red participants have taken first place every time (see article on page 12). These results show once again that the Austrian construction industry's triple training system - consisting of a company, a vocational school and a training building yard - produces skilled workers who are among the best in international comparison.
The regular top placements in international competitions are an important focus of the Federal Construction Guild's apprentice campaign. With their achievements, the participating construction specialists act as role models for a broad campaign target group and potential future construction apprentices.

Industries are vying for young people

The training market is hotly contested: numerous sectors (trade, tourism, IT, healthcare, etc.) and companies (ÖBB, REWE, Spar, etc.) invest large sums in their employer image and vie for the attention of young people. In order to survive in this competition for young talent, the Federal Construction Guild launched the “BauDeineZukunft” apprenticeship campaign in 2004. This campaign pursues two main goals: improving the image of the construction professions and ensuring a sufficient number of skilled workers for the construction industry. In addition to young people, the campaign also addresses other opinions when choosing a career (especially parents and teachers).

Online & social media focus

Digital media and social networks are the main source of information for young people. Platforms such as YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok are used by around 80 percent of all young people. The apprenticeship campaign therefore focuses on communication online and regularly provides information about construction apprenticeships on its own social media channels (see collection of links below).
This online focus makes it possible to address the relevant target groups with comparatively low budgets and low wastage through targeted user targeting: In the past year and a half (January 2024 to June 2025), the online focus of the apprentice campaign achieved 183 million visual contacts (so-called “ad impressions”).

Analogue and on site: apprentice experts and CONSTRUCTION academies

In addition to targeted online communication, the apprenticeship campaign uses other proven measures: In order to support construction companies in acquiring apprentices, our own apprenticeship experts work on behalf of the construction guilds in all federal states. They are in constant contact with young people who are looking for an apprenticeship and place them with construction companies. They provide information about the advantages of a construction apprenticeship at career fairs, school visits and parents' evenings.
Likewise, numerous events at the BAUAcademies - including construction apprentice castings, taster and information days, PTS competitions, practical workshops - carry out important educational work and regularly arouse interest among young people.

Support for construction apprentices and construction companies

The apprentice campaign not only addresses young people and therefore potential construction apprentices, but also active construction apprentices. The main focus is on content-related support and support for future specialists. Just a few years ago, construction apprenticeships underwent an unprecedented change: As part of the “Construction Apprenticeship 2020” project, apprentice training was realigned with a particular focus on digitalization in order to adapt it to the modern professional world.
The construction industry set a milestone in digital knowledge transfer in autumn 2019 when the platform www.e-baulehre.at
went online. This means that specific construction knowledge is conveyed to construction apprentices in a simple and clear way: over 160 online courses, around 250 instructional videos and more than 4,000 knowledge checks enable optimal preparation for the final apprenticeship exam.
The hardware has also been upgraded: building construction, concrete construction, civil engineering and track construction technology apprentices can request a free tablet with internet access and construction applications in advance of their first call-up to the BAUAcademies.
Construction companies are also supported in apprentice training: The apprentice experts accompany training companies through the apprenticeship years and advise on all important apprentice questions
( www.baudeinezukunft.at/kontakt → Apprentice experts).

In order to provide the apprentice trainers with the best possible support in their work, the Federal Construction Guild produced new training guidelines at the end of 2021. These offer trainers practical assistance in their daily work with future construction workers.
Furthermore, a training company folder offers a compact overview of the most important topics in apprentice training from the perspective of the training company. The training company folder contains all relevant information – legal framework, funding opportunities, job profiles, training documents – on the subject of construction apprenticeships.
The training guidelines and the training company folder are available on the homepage of the construction office www.bau.or.at/baulehre available.
In addition, all member companies are under the jurisdiction of the Federal Construction Guild www.jobsambau.at A job platform for job advertisements has been available since 2021. This allows construction companies across Austria to place job advertisements – free of charge and easily.