Filipino skilled workers will be able to soon work in Austria, as the two countries have signed an agreement that facilitates travelling and working in the European country every year.
According to the Austrian Secretary of Labor and Economy, Susanne Kraus-Winklers, some 500 Filipino workers across many sectors, such as healthcare, services, tourism, hospitality, construction and engineering, and information technology, are expected to move to Austria in the upcoming years for work purposes, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
She also pointed out that the Philippines is the first country that Austria has signed a memorandum of understanding for future recruitment and vocational training.
Through this agreement, we aim to facilitate the deployment of Filipino professionals and skilled workers to Austria in a manner that is safe, ethical, sustainable, and mutually beneficial. Our workers, in return, will contribute to addressing the labour shortage in Austria and to sharing their expertise and commitment to the economic development of Austria.
THE DEPARTMENT OF MIGRANT WORKERS OFFICER-IN-CHARGE, HANS CACDAC
The Austrian Federal Economic Chamber secretary-general, Karlheinz Kopf, said that up to 80 per cent of Austria companies have reported somewhat of a shortage in skilled workers, with some 200,000 vacancies.
He also noted that in the next 15 years, the number of vacancies could double up while skilled workers are lacking, although the country is employing workers more than in pre-pandemic times.
Winkler, on the other hand, pointed out that after the pandemic, there was a change in the way people perceived work, and people now are more concerned about work-life balance. Moreover, the industry is on the rise, so employing more people – more than ever before, is necessary.
Winkler also applauded the legal system in Austria, saying that workers will be getting support in any case of issues arising during their employment experience in the European country.
Around 20 per cent of Filipino workers in Austria are engaged in the tourism sector, and the majority of those 500 newcomers are expected to be employed in the same industry.
DMW numbers show that currently, there are around 5,824 Filipino workers in Austria. Around 1,220 of them are in the hospitality and food service category, while 749 are in the health and social work service sector.
Representatives from the Filipino Department of Migrant Workers and their Austrian counterparts signed the agreement for the recruitment of Filipino workers in this European country, which would be the second bilateral agreement following the other one that was signed in July for Filipino healthcare workers.
Source : SchengenVisaInfo