What benefits does Education until 18 provide for young people?
Aside from the parents and the young people themselves, schools have a great responsibility to ensure a good education for their students. All professional groups at a school help prepare the young people for their future life and tackle the obstacles they are facing when transitioning from compulsory school to post-compulsory education.
Schools can make a significant contribution to prevent early school drop-outs. The earlier we can make children and youth aware of how important a completed education or training is for their future and a self-determined life, the better are the chances that they will continue school or an apprenticeship.
What does the duty to complete an education mean for schools?
Young people often lack the connection between their personal strengths, interests and career choice, while some are confronted with stressful problems. It is therefore vital for young people to become aware of their strengths, interests, talents and aptitudes so that they can confidently use these as resources in the education and training process.
This is why Education until 18 is not “only” about ensuring post-compulsory qualification for young people. It also comprises preventive offers, best possible support for youths and their parents, as well as an optimization of the education and training offers.
Buzzword: Reporting obligation
Young people who do not make use of an education or training offer need support as early as possible. Therefore, parents have the duty to notify the coordinating office if young people fail to resume their education within three months after leaving or dropping out of school or an apprenticeship.
Schools, AMS, Social Service Office, apprenticeship offices, etc. report young people who start or drop out of education measures to Statistik Austria.
How does the reporting system work?
Coordinating offices ensure that young people who fail to fulfil their duty to complete an education receive appropriate support.
To become active, the coordinating offices need information on young people who dropped out of an education measure or failed to begin with it. This is why schools – aside from the parents and other relevant institutions and organisations – are required to report the data of the young people they train or support to Statistik Austria. This is to ensure that drop-outs are detected as early as possible and intervention measures can be taken.
The school authority is responsible for making the arrangements required for complying with the reporting duty.
For what is the data used?
Statistik Austria coordinates the transmitted data to filter out those young people who are not completing any education. The data of these youths is transmitted via the Social Service Office to the responsible coordinating office.
The coordinating offices ensure that the circumstances are reviewed and that the required support measures are implemented promptly. In doing so, they work together with the institutions involved (e.g. youth centres sponsored by the Federal Government and the states, schools, apprenticeship offices, companies, AMS).
Data protection
Statistik Austria acts as a service provider for the Social Service Office and is legally obliged to take the required technical and organisational measures to ensure the protection of the data. The transmitted data is only indirectly linked in personalised form (for statistical and scientific research).
Support for youth
The first step of Education until 18 is the preparation of an individual pathway or support plan. It focuses on the wishes and interests of the young man or woman. The schools provide support for preparing the pathway or support plan and check, where purposeful, whether it is possible for the person concerned to go back to or continue school.
If parents fail to assist their children with completing an education, they may be liable to a penalty. However, no penalty will be imposed if they cooperate, but the young man or woman doesn’t. Penalties in the context of Education until 18 are only the last option.
Concrete offers
The duty to complete an education may be fulfilled by any of the following:
Below is the official list containing the recognized offers and measures that your child may attend or successfully complete to fulfil his or her duty to complete an education:
Recognition of other offers
Other offers may be recognized subject to the submission of a corresponding application by the parents. The decision will be made by the Social Service Office. The decision will depend on whether the offer or the employment will contribute to obtaining a post-compulsory education or training qualification or can improve the young person’s opportunities in the labour market.
Contact with the coordinating office
Should you have any specific or personal questions about Education until 18,
please write to us or call us!
0800 700 118
info@ausbildungbis18.at
toll-free from inside Austria