Topic Taster apprenticeships

Days of practical work experience (often also called taster apprenticeship or trial traineeship) give an insight into everyday working life and are used to examine career aspirations

Days of practical work experience represent a major part of career guidance at school level. By watching, asking questions and trying their skills in simple, harmless activities, pupils have the opportunity to become familiar with the respective occupation and everyday work routine at the company, thus comparing their personal ideas with the work reality on site.

Make the most of the opportunity of a taster apprenticeship:

• During the taster apprenticeship look only at occupations which really interest you. This requires you to deal with the world of work in detail in advance and become aware of your interests.
• Try to check out different occupations in every taster apprenticeship so you can then compare these.
• Check out as many activities as possible. Only by doing something yourself can you really say whether you enjoy the work and are also suitable for it.

Taster apprenticeships offer another big advantage!

Many companies select their future apprentices with the help of taster apprenticeships. This means the opportunity of finding an apprenticeship can be clearly increased by taster apprenticeships.
Addresses of companies and training companies for taster apprenticeships in a specific occupation can be obtained from the apprenticeship office or career guidance and educational counselling office in your province.

IMPORTANT: Days of practical work experience are not only to make it easier for you to decide on an apprenticeship. Pupils who want to attend an upper secondary school also have the possibility to learn more about different occupations and the world of work.

Days of practical work experience are basically organised in the school. Two different organisation forms are possible here:

Variant A: school event
for pupils of different grades (8th / 9th/ 10th year of school attendance)

• at the same time for all pupils
• at least 70% participation of the class

The entire class takes part in days of practical work experience (differentiated programmes are possible here: job-related excursions and company tours, practice in the company, career guidance centres, etc.).

Variant B: individual career guidance
for pupils of all school types from the 8th grade (from the 4th grade of general secondary school or academic secondary school, the 8th and 9th grade of special needs school, prevocational school and afterwards).

Individual career guidance enables individual pupils in the 4th grade of general secondary school/academic secondary school, in the 8th and 9th grade of special needs school, prevocational school, and also upper secondary schools to miss classes for up to 5 days for the purpose of individual career guidance. The permission is granted by the form teacher after weighing up the interests of progressing in school and career guidance. The initiative for individual career guidance has to come from the pupil or the parents.

• not at the same time for all pupils
• for individual pupil if necessary

Taster apprenticeships outside of lesson time
For the aforementioned age groups it is also possible to complete individual career guidance outside of lesson time (in the school holidays) for a maximum of 15 days per company and calendar year (according to § 175 of the General Social Insurance Act (Allgemeines Sozialversicherungsgesetz or ASVG)). Requirements here are also the consent of the parent/guardian and confirmation by the supervisor that there was clarification of the relevant legal regulations stipulated in § 13b (3) of the School Education Act (Schulunterrichtsgesetz or SchUG).

Note: In this case it is NOT a school event or a school-related event.

The most important aspects at a glance

• Days of practical work experience do not constitute an employment contract.
• Pupils are not allowed to be incorporated in the work process, i.e. work: yes, acting as a substitute for the work of an employee: no.
• Pupils are not obliged to work, there are no obligatory working hours and the company owner is not entitled, according to labour law, to give them instructions telling them to carry out any work activities.
• Pupils are not entitled to remuneration.
• The provisions concerning industrial safety and hygiene at the workplace must be taken into consideration.
• The physical strength of the pupils must be taken into account.
• According to the ASVG at the Austrian Workers’ Compensation Board (Allgemeine Unfallversicherungsanstalt or AUVA), pupils are as such covered by occupational accident insurance. They do not have to be registered for social security. ATTENTION: also applies for pupils from academic secondary schools, VET schools or VET colleges.
• Damage caused by pupils is subject to general tort law. Liability has to be checked on an individual basis.
• During lesson time, the supervision duty lies with the school. The supervising teacher visits the company and the apprentice. During school holidays there are different regulations.
• The supervision duty can be transferred to a responsible member of staff (a suitable person) in the company.