LRin Palfrader: “First national labor conference in Innsbruck in the face of the shortage of skilled workers”
Central conference topics in addition to the shortage of skilled workers: reform dialogue on unemployment insurance, long-term unemployment and the European Social Fund (IT F)
The first nationwide conference of state labor officers took place yesterday, Thursday, and today, Friday, at the initiative of the Tyrolean state labor councillor Beate Palfrader together with Minister of Labour Martin Kocher at the Villa Blanka in Innsbruck. “We are pleased and proud that we were able to organize the first state labor consultants’ conference in Tyrol and thus make the exchange between the federal states and the federal government even more intensive in this fundamental area of our society,” emphasized LRin Palfrader. “In particular, the shortage of skilled workers presents us with challenges that we can only solve together. This will was clearly visible in the decisions made today,” said the Minister for Labor.
“I was pleased to take part in the conference of state labor officers in Innsbruck today and to speak about current issues and challenges on the labor market. The exchange with the federal states is particularly important to me against the background of the shortage of skilled workers. The demand for qualified employees is currently high, especially in the care and tourism sectors, but also in the MINT professions, and will continue to drive us forward even more in the future due to demographic developments. It is all the more important to work together and across the federal states in order to counteract this development and to keep the Austrian labor market attractive for workers and skilled workers. With today’s exchange, we have created an important basis for further cooperation on this topic. I would like to thank you for the constructive discussions,” said Labor Minister Kocher.
“Labour and skilled workers are the theme of the labor market for the next ten years. A nationwide strategy is now needed that takes regional differences and special challenges of individual sectors and regions into account, among other things. Our goal is to develop measures to combat the labor shortage,” concludes Lower Austria’s provincial labor council Martin Eichinger one.
Making the red-white-red card more attractive
The countries also agreed that the attractiveness of the red-white-red card, a residence and work permit for qualified workers from third countries, must be increased. In addition to adjusting the criteria, this also includes streamlining and digitizing the process.
“In order for Austria to continue to be a business location, our companies must have enough skilled workers available. To do this, most of the adjusting screws have to be turned. That is why Upper Austria is now particularly in favor of a reform of the red-white-red card in order to enable significantly more qualified specialists from third countries than before to work and live in Austria. It is gratifying that we have received broad approval from the other federal states and from Labor Minister Kocher for our demands for a review of the criteria of the red-white-red card and digitization and streamlining of the procedure,” emphasizes Upper Austria’s Economic Provincial Council Markus Achleitner.
Successful federal program “Springboard”
On March 7, 2022, the reform dialogue on unemployment insurance started with an inquiry in the Vienna Hofburg. “Today we have a need for improvement or. of a reform and I would like to thank the Federal Minister for his willingness to broaden this dialogue,” he said LRin Palfrader. Furthermore, the focus was on combating long-term unemployment. Here, the state employment consultants’ conference clearly spoke out in favor of extending the “Springboard” program for another year. “People who are affected by long-term unemployment must be supported on their way back into the labor market,” adds Tyrol’s labor councilor in this context.
European Social Fund important financial instrument for social policy
A major concern of the federal states was an improvement of the procedures in the context of projects of the European Social Fund (IT F). Many successful projects aimed at increasing educational and employment opportunities for people in Austria and at combating poverty and discrimination are largely supported by funds from the IT F maintain. To ensure that projects are not endangered, the federal states and the European Commission are agreed to faster procedures and thus the urgent planning security.
“The European Social Fund is the European Union’s major financial instrument for social policy and investment in people and is used for important programs in the individual member states. It is extremely important that there is just in case IT Fprogram gives legal certainty in the processing,” says the Vorarlberg State Councilor for Economic Affairs Marco Titler in this context. In addition to the programs and instruments, Tittlers believes that it is just as important that restrictions are quickly lifted and people get back to work. “Because the best job engine is still a functioning economy,” concludes LR Tittler.