- Funding Programme
- Year
- 2022
Improving staff working conditions for better quality in early childhood education and care in Austria
The Commission has been supporting Austria on a reform to improve the working conditions, capacity and quality of staff in early childhood education and care (ECEC) as a key factor for the quality of education and care for young children.
Context
Participating in ECEC of high quality has many benefits for children’s development and future success in life. It is also a key factor for parent’s employment. The demand for ECEC for children from 0 to 6 is rising in Austria, however, a shortage in trained ECEC professionals has led to limited provision and decreased enrolment rates, specifically among children aged 0-3 years old. This shortage has been linked to the great variety of staffing and employment conditions across the federal provinces and municipalities, to negative perceptions around the attractiveness of the profession and to high fluctuation of staff due to retirement and to moves towards employers or regions offering more attractive working conditions.
Support delivered
The support measures included:
- An analysis of working conditions and the main factors impacting on the quality of the workforce in Austria’s ECEC sector
- An analysis of European good practice on strengthening ECEC workforce conditions, including peer exchanges with Ireland and Germany, and a study visit to Finland
- A model framework for ECEC staffing quality and conditions (QualitätsRahmenPlan), jointly developed with a working group of representatives from the federal authorities, the federal provinces and other stakeholders
- Recommendations to inform an implementation strategy for improving ECEC Framework conditions, including elements for a roadmap, action plan, and monitoring & evaluation framework
- A concept for a communication strategy and associated tools
Results achieved
Providing extensive knowledge of the current status of the ECEC sector and implications for staffing, the project created the evidence base for the joint development of a Model Framework for ECEC Staffing Quality and Conditions. This Framework, accompanied by good practice and a Monitoring & Evaluation framework, will serve the authorities as a template for adaptation and adoption at the province level. The project also provided the foundations for the Austrian authorities at federal and province level to agree on implementation and communication strategies to improve the framework conditions and recruitment in ECEC.
The expected long-term effect of this project is strengthened quality, availability, equity and stability of ECEC workforce in Austria and reduced staff shortages. This will contribute to better access to and quality of ECEC services in the country.
Useful links
Ministry press release at kick-off (DE):
https://www.bmbwf.gv.at/Ministerium/Presse/20221201a.html
More about the project
You can read the documents related to the project here: