Vocational secondary schools in Vienna play a vital role in the educational and career guidance of students in the 9th grade. These young people gain new perspectives and are professionally prepared for the world of work or vocational training.
The European Office of the Board of Education for Vienna is committed to supporting this important phase with suitable projects and a wide range of services.
In addition to workshops, excursions, and equipment for schools such as smartboards, this also includes individual career guidance coaching for students from vocational secondary schools.
The coaches of the JOBITY project have already provided targeted support to over 50 students in making informed decisions about their career choices and applying for apprenticeships or further education. The continuation of this EU-funded support measure is guaranteed.

“I am 14 years old and a student at FMS 23. During my work experience placement at the Europe Office of the Vienna Education Directorate, I learned a great deal. I worked in various departments and got to know each one thoroughly. I was very pleased with the support I received. I didn’t experience a single unpleasant situation during my week there. The work atmosphere is very collegial and simply wonderful. I was given a wide range of tasks and received excellent support throughout. Even when I made a mistake, everyone remained calm and friendly. I highly recommend an internship at the Europe Office of the Vienna Education Directorate to anyone considering it. Finally, a tip for future interns: Don’t be afraid to ask questions!”

In early March 2026, a 29-member delegation visited Antwerp to learn about the Belgian vocational education and training system as part of the Erasmus+ project enterEurope VET2 – “Meaningful Vocational Education and Training.” The delegation included Viennese department heads and teachers from vocational schools specializing in human services. Classroom observations and discussions with Belgian colleagues provided practical insights into different approaches to vocational education and training. Particular emphasis was placed on global citizenship education and the role of vocational education and training in promoting social responsibility, sustainability, and active participation.
The job shadowing provided the participating schools with valuable suggestions for further developing future-oriented and meaningful vocational education and training.

For our Erasmus+ enterEurope project, an alumni meeting of the enterEurope project schools took place on March 4, 2026.

This time, the event was held at Erlebnis Europa (Experience Europe) on Rotenturmstraße in Vienna.

Former enterEurope project schools had the opportunity to learn about the exhibition and the educational programs offered by Erlebnis Europa, the European Parliament’s center in Vienna. The Erlebnis Europa team gave us a tour of the facilities, presented the exhibition area, and then answered our questions.

In addition, the team from the Europe Office of the Vienna Education Directorate provided tips and tricks for Erasmus+ in the school context – this time focusing on finding Erasmus+ partner schools and documenting our own Erasmus+ projects. Participants took advantage of the opportunity to ask questions and exchange ideas.

Afterwards, there was ample time for discussion, networking, and further exchange.

Thank you for your participation! We are already looking forward to our next meeting.

This time, our enterEurope VET2 project – “Meaningful Vocational Education and Training” – took 18 principals and teachers to Helsinki from March 22nd to 26th, 2026.
During daily visits to vocational schools, the exchange of ideas among colleagues on the topics of Sustainable Future Work, Active Citizenship Education, and Future Competencies was central. This revealed innovative approaches to prepare young people for a changing world of work and to strengthen their personal development. The mobility program further advanced the collaboration between our Viennese project schools and international partner institutions.

This year, in April 2026, we once again hosted our traditional EU Brunches for secondary school classes under the motto: “Telling Europe’s Story – Understanding Values.”

The focus was not simply on imparting knowledge, but on creating space for dialogue, critical thinking, and thus a personal connection to European values.
35 experts in the fields of political education and international cooperation discussed these topics with our students in small groups. We were particularly pleased by the visit of Minister of Education Christoph Wiederkehr, Mayor Michael Ludwig, City Councillor for Education Bettina Emmerling, and Director of the Board of Education Elisabeth Fuchs.

The response was overwhelming, with 20 classes and around 500 young people participating in the five sessions. We were very impressed by the students’ strong commitment to democracy, equality, and peace.
To mark Europe Day, a special EU brunch, “Raise your voice – Vienna talks Europe,” was held at City Hall on May 4th in cooperation with the City of Vienna’s Department for European Affairs and the European Structural and Investment Funds. The event featured 15 different themed tables and a scavenger hunt exploring Vienna’s EU projects for a sustainable future.

Watch the video here! (Coming soon)

Under the title “Meaningful Vocational Education and Training – How Do We Prepare Young People for an Uncertain Future?”, we organized a keynote and dialogue event for school principals and teachers of vocational secondary and higher schools on April 29, 2026. The event was part of our Erasmus+ project enterEurope VET2, which addressed key future issues in vocational education and training. Panel discussions with experts from education, academia, and educational administration focused on the role of schools in a rapidly changing society and world of work. Subsequent World Café sessions allowed participants to exchange ideas with the experts on various questions and practical approaches. This open dialogue strongly demonstrated the importance of exchange between academia, educational administration, and school practice, and underscored the significance of future-oriented and meaningful vocational education and training.

The European Office, as part of the Interreg SK-AT project CLIM-SED, was bringing science directly to our students. In an exciting collaboration with the experts from the Institute for Hydraulic Engineering at BOKU Vienna, around 200 high school students became researchers themselves, and instead of dry theory in the classroom, in May 2026 it was: Off to the water!

Right at the Liesingbach, students analyzed, measured, and observed. After all, rivers are more than just waterways—they are vital habitats and a central pillar for nature conservation and our quality of life. The students learnt firsthand how ecosystems function and why we must actively protect them. A powerful example of modern climate education, preparing the next generation for the ecological challenges of the future!

Across three modules in the summer semester of 2026, teachers received practical ideas for a strengths-based approach to teaching and explore key life skills such as self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social competence.

The workshop series combines scientific insights with practical methods for everyday school life and demonstrates how motivation, trust, and successful learning can be fostered sustainably – a continuation next school year is already firmly planned!

As part of our Interreg AT–HU project BOUNCE BACK, practice-oriented resilience workshops were conducted during the winter semester 2025/26 to strengthen key life skills of children and young people in their everyday school environment. Innovative and inclusive workshops took place in 28 pilot classes at primary and lower secondary schools in Vienna, where students received age-appropriate input and practical tools to recognize and actively develop their own resilience. From the very beginning, children were invited to consciously focus on positive aspects of their lives through the so-called “Good Things Circle.”
Using a variety of methods such as role-playing, positioning exercises, and group activities, the workshops supported the development of children’s and adolescents’ awareness and perception. The content focused on the core pillars of resilience: acceptance, solution-oriented thinking, supportive relationships, a positive approach to mistakes, seeing the good, and recognizing and expressing emotions.
Empowered and with new perspectives, the students return to their everyday school life. We will continue the project in the summer semester with creative workshops to further strengthen children’s resilience in a sustainable way.