# Lower Austria Apprentice Numbers Hit Record Lows

October 27, 2026 at 08:36 PM

> Vocational training in Lower Austria faces a sharp decline as the number of apprentices and training companies reaches historical lows.

**Lower Austria** faces a significant decline in vocational training, with apprentice and training company numbers hitting historical lows. Despite this trend, master painter **David Marker** in Pottenstein recently hired **Dominic Grandl-Egger** as a new apprentice.

Data shows training companies dropped from 12,847 in 1980 to 4,100 this September. Apprentice numbers fell from 31,000 to 15,939. Leaders like **Sandra Kern**, Markus Wieser, and **Wolfgang Ecker** note that applicants currently outnumber available training positions.

The shift impacts regional labor markets as firms navigate strict regulations, such as the nine-hour daily work limit for minors. Maintaining skilled trades remains vital, even as the total number of active training sites in the region continues to diminish.


[#LowerAustria](<https://austriareport.com/hashtag/loweraustria>) #VocationalTraining [#Apprenticeships](<https://austriareport.com/hashtag/apprenticeships>) #SkilledTrades [#LaborMarket](<https://austriareport.com/hashtag/labormarket>)

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