- PORR educational campus complements existing three-pronged training system
- PORR approach to education and training is currently one of a kind in Austria
- Pilot project provides response to lack of skilled labour and battle for the best talent
- Training to start in September 2019
Vienna, 10 September 2018 – Together with representatives from the worlds of politics, business and the media, the cornerstone for the PORR educational campus was laid today in a ceremony at the PORR compound in Vienna Simmering. The forward-looking pilot project marks the expansion of the existing three-pronged training system for apprentices by adding an additional pillar. The educational concept is the only one of its kind in Austria and underlines PORR’s leading role in further education and training at the same time as taking the existing range for commercial trainees and construction apprentices to an entirely new level. Training sessions at the campus are set to begin in September 2019.
Cross-sector digitalisation is at the top of the agenda for Austrian companies and is currently being explored more intensively than any other issue. This also holds true for the construction industry where the consequences of the digital-culture shift are already a reality. The recruitment requirements for employees are rising steadily as the result of ever more complex processes at work in the construction industry. At the same time, attracting and retaining skilled workers is becoming ever more of a challenge in the building sector. In the course of the PORR educational campus, the full-service provider is implementing effective measures to address the prevailing challenges.
“Today the career opportunities in the construction industry are at least as diverse as the range of different specialisations that apprentices can strive for in this sector. The pilot project in Vienna Simmering underlines the appeal of apprenticeships in construction as well as the appeal of Vienna as a site for training”, said Michael Ludwig, Mayor of Vienna.
Construction 4.0: Apprenticeships transformed by digitalisation
“Digitalisation has far-reaching consequences on both construction apprenticeships and on job profiles in the building sector. Highly skilled experts are always in demand in the construction business. Practically no other sector offers job and career opportunities that are as good as those in construction”, said Michaela Schindler, apprenticeship expert for the Federal Guild of Construction, summing up the current state of play. “Companies have to employ holistic educational concepts in order to counter the lack of skilled labour in a timely manner and motivate talented youngsters to take up apprenticeships in construction”.
At the educational campus PORR will offer every apprentice one additional internal training course for three weeks per year. This should help to increase the number of apprentices from the current four percent to five percent in the short term and to eight percent in the medium term. Personnel development for skilled workers also plays a key part at the educational campus. In order to encourage and nurture individual potential and specialised careers, PORR offers skilled workers and labourers a broad range of further training opportunities both in terms of vocational expertise and soft skills.
In addition to multiple classrooms and a vast workshop spanning around 500m², the compound will also house halls of residence with around 50 beds and comprehensive sports and leisure facilities. The curriculum will cover practice and theory that is more difficult to convey on the construction site itself. This will include training on how to handle state-of-the-art construction materials, smart machinery and an introduction into the new world of work. What’s more, from September 2019 interested pupils will be able to form their own first impressions on a building site through a range of taster days.
“Only those who implement the appropriate measures today will win the battle for the best talent and thereby remain competitive in future”, said PORR CEO, Karl-Heinz Strauss. “Construction is a people business. Every individual counts, as it is only possible to deliver superlative achievements in a team that is highly motivated and exceptionally well-educated. With our new educational campus we are ensuring that our staff members are fit for the future and that their knowhow is always completely up to date”.
