We have to leave the old ways”

We have to leave the old ways”

Automotive industry: The Federal Guild has formulated a new training and further education strategy and thus initiated a reform. How difficult was that or how long did it take? 

Roman Keglovits-Ackerer: The discussion began under Federal Guild Master Nagl five or six years ago. Even before Corona, there was a meeting of the state guilds at which we presented our ideas, and it was very well received. Then it was time for the implementation and the details. A year ago we put the concept into a readable form. The research effort was already considerable. The basic decision was finally made at the end of 2020. 

Have you also looked at how this is regulated in other countries and are there any role models?

Yes, we have to look beyond Austria and have an international network in which we exchange ideas. An example for us was South Tyrol. They have a four-year apprenticeship and the legal problem is that if you're 15 or 16 years old you're not allowed to attack anything in the workshop. A few years ago they tried to have the apprentices go to a primary school for two years, for example for metal technology, and then they have two years to work in the company. Then the apprenticeship qualification. So during the basic training you can still decide what you want to specialize in. 

Due to the rapid technological development, you need more and more specialists, but at the same time you also need the classic basic knowledge, right?

Exactly. By the way, it works similarly in HTL. I saw that with my son. They also have a general basic training with metallurgy, welding, basic mathematical calculations, etc., very similar to the apprenticeship, only more in-depth. This confirmed to me that we need two years of basic training. Everyone needs to know how hard to tighten a screw. And you then need the option to graduate with higher qualifications in specialist areas. 

Development is so rapid that you probably never finish learning and have to constantly stay on the ball. How do you take this into account?

Knowledge in the automotive industry has multiplied over the last ten years. Lifelong learning is intended to be promoted through various qualification steps. This requires further training and qualification standards. A multi-stage system that builds on each other. We have the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), and we also need to implement a common European Qualifications Framework (EQF) for the EU-wide recognition of professional qualifications. We have to leave the old ways. For example, we already have the dent pushers at NQR5 level. That means with a proper test. We also need to optimize this when it comes to vehicle inspections. Here we have basic training and further education, but no exams. With final exams – or let’s call them knowledge tests – we would protect ourselves legally against the European Commission. This is an issue across the EU. It is also important that we implement NQF3 training as preliminary training before the apprenticeship. We have to discuss with the union and the Chamber of Labor how we can do this. That will be difficult. 

What about the master's exam?

We had to make improvements there. The development is towards competency-oriented training and competency-oriented testing. So that you can not only answer individual questions, but also understand entire systems. We have succeeded in anchoring the master's examination regulations in law. The master's examination regulations for body construction technology and body painting technology as well as for automotive technology now correspond to the NQR6 level and are therefore equivalent to a bachelor's degree. 

Isn't it also an advantage of the reform that specializations have become more flexible and new professional requirements can be integrated if necessary?

If so: What is happening there? Absolutely. And a lot is really happening. For example, there is a Tyrolean company, Seda, which specializes in machines and systems for recycling vehicles, especially electric cars. There is the idea of ​​training a recycling specialist. Or, to give another example, the caravan association approached us. In this area there is more focus on body construction as well as carpentry and electrician work. In general, you have to say: We are no longer screwdrivers, even if we might like to be. Ok, then there is the topic of classic cars, there is great training in Switzerland. But they are also specialists.