Description
Country
Focus area
Preparation of labour market related information to make it accessible and understandable for everyone. It helps all interested parties (PES employees, journalists, politicians, company representatives, persons who want to choose their career) to process information on the local, regional and national labour market.
Link
Reference/weblink
Implementation level
At what level is the initiative implemented?
National
Legal base
Legal base (E.g. Law, regulation, implementing provision, other)
The qualification barometer is run by the public employment service (AMS), the consultancy 3s Unternehmensberatung and the Federal Economic Chambers (WKO) subsidiary 'Institute for Research on Qualifications and Training of the Austrian Economy' (IBW).
Starting period
TIMESPAN: In what year did the initiative commence?
Launched in 2002.
Perspective
PERSPECTIVE: is the initiative based on evidence derived from skill forecasts or foresight activities?
It is a main initiative, online information system for trends in qualifications.
Funding
How it is funded?
Other
By the Austrian PES, average annual funding (including expenditures for further development of the instrument) amounts to around €160,000.
Skill mismatch
Skill mismatch target
What type(s) of skills MISMATCH does the initiative aim to addresses?
Skill shortages (employers cannot fill their vacancies due to a lack of skills in the labour market)
Skill gaps (worker's skills are below the level of proficiency required by their employers and jobs)
Other
It provides information to potentially skills mismatched people to help them to adapt to (local) labour market needs.
Skills matching focus
How does the initiative address skills mismatches?
The barometer compiles and organises information on current and future qualification requirements and all information is made publicly available through the internet so that it can be used also by those who want to change career
The instrument structures occupations in three levels in accordance to skills and education required for them.
The information on qualification requirements can be used by employees, unemployed, companies and training institutions to take actions to improve labour market matches.
The information on qualification requirements can also be used by training institutions to take actions to improve labour market matches.
Skills delivered
What types of skill does the initiative deliver?
Job search skills
Career management skills
Methods
Methods
What methods of undertaking skills assessments and / or skills anticipation does the policy instrument utilise?
Employer surveys
Interviews are held with experts in different occupational areas, such as HR managers
Skills foresight
It involves the secondary analyses of statistical data provided by the Main Association of Austrian Social Insurance Funds (Hauptverband der Sozialversicherungsträger), Statistik Austria and the Public Employment Service (AMS), as well as studies on the development of qualification requirements, job vacancies and the labour market.
Use of skills intelligence
How is labour market information / skills intelligence used within the initiative?
The Austrian PES uses skills intelligence as a means to achieve a reduction in unemployment. Ministries may also use skills data. Other stakeholders, such as social partners, can initiate adjustments or create apprenticeship curricula, based on a number of sources and on skills anticipation results. Schools are using skills intelligence to provide support and advisory services to pupils and their parents. Career and guidance services are offered by various organisations (including the Austrian PES, social partners, government ministries and associations) for different target groups ranging from adults in full time education to those in the labour market.
Stakeholders
Main responsible body
Main body or organisation with overall responsibility for the initiative.
National PES
Arbeitsmarktservice, AMS
Other involved organisations
Which other organisations have a role in the initiative?
National PES
It is both funded and run by the public employment service (AMS)
Other
It is run by the Austrian PES together with the consultancy firm 3s Unternehmensberatung, and the subsidiary of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKO), the Institute for Research on Qualifications and Training of the Austrian Economy (IBW). The latter two organisations designed and developed the system.
Beneficiaries
Who are the intended beneficiaries?
While the information is open to all, it targets young people, careers counsellors, AMS advisers, educational institutions, employers, employees, jobseekers, journalists and policymakers. The beneficiaries can benefit of information on predictions for the total number of available jobs by sector and occupation. Due to Covid-19 from May 2020 onwards there were no predictions (up to April 2021), however the site still provides numbers on the current vacancies. As an example: as of November 2020, with 1,987 vacancies, the largest number of jobs is available in the field of healthcare.
Young people making the transition from education into work
Adults in employment with upskilling potential
Adults in employment with reskilling potential
Other
It provides information to potentially skills mismatched people to help them to adapt to (local) labour market needs.
Sustainability
Success factors
SUCCESS FACTORS in the implementation
Methodologically correct approach; its comprehensible and user-friendly graphical presentation of results useful for the different target groups; it is an open and free tool to use. The Skills Barometer is used by counsellors in the Austrian PES’ career information centres and by those in charge of planning training programmes in the provincial PES offices.
Monitoring and evaluation
MONITORING and EVALUATION: Is progress measured regularly? What are the indicators used to measure progress of the policy instrument? Have any evaluations been conducted?
Attendance at the events could be seen as a indicator for progress or success of the instrument, however no information is publicly available if attendance is actually measured.
Updates
UPDATES: whether there have been any major updates of the initiative since it has been implemented?
The instrument was adapted to improve the user experience, e.g. by making it more accessible. Regarding content, a segment on green jobs/green skills, as well as a section on gender-related aspects of the labour market has been added. Also, the revised occupational classification of the PES (AMS Berufstaxonomie) had to be implemented.
Yes
Most texts are updated every six months, the remaining ones are updated once a year.
Effectiveness
EVIDENCE ON EFFECTIVENESS: How effective is the policy instrument?
According to a survey in 2010, users of the PES Skills Barometer are very satisfied with the information provided and the uses of the website. The website is used by people with both high and low skills. Therefore, it seems that the instrument is relevant not only for highly qualified users, but also for people with lower qualification levels. In other words, neither better qualified or lower qualified (potential) users were (unintentionally) excluded from the instrument, e.g. by providing information or services that are only relevant to a specific (e.g. high-skilled) user group.
Sustainability
SUSTAINABILITY: How sustainable is the policy instrument? Do you expect the instrument to continue over the next few years and why?
Most users visit the website to gather information on retraining possibilities and to find a job. Provided that the instrument continues to offer a good user experience in the future (e.g. by regularly updating information on occupations), and given that the internet will remain one of the most important channels to collect information or to find work, the instrument should continue over the next few years.
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