More Filipino workers in Austria seen as PH inks deployment agreement | ABS-CBN
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More Filipino workers in Austria seen as PH inks deployment agreement
More Filipino workers in Austria seen as PH inks deployment agreement
Zen Hernandez,
ABS-CBN News
Published Oct 25, 2023 07:15 PM PHT
MANILA — An agreement that will facilitate the deployment of professional and skilled Filipino workers to Austria was signed Wednesday between the Philippines and the government of Austria.
MANILA — An agreement that will facilitate the deployment of professional and skilled Filipino workers to Austria was signed Wednesday between the Philippines and the government of Austria.
Included in the Austrian delegation were State Secretary for Tourism Susanne Kraus-Winkler, Austrian Ambassador to the Philippines Johann Brieger, and Secretary General Karlheinz Kopf.
Included in the Austrian delegation were State Secretary for Tourism Susanne Kraus-Winkler, Austrian Ambassador to the Philippines Johann Brieger, and Secretary General Karlheinz Kopf.
According to Kraus-Winkler, many of the workers that Austria needs are in the fields of healthcare, services, tourism, engineering and IT.
“There might be the possibility that we have approximately 500 Filipinos coming to Austria per year for the coming years, for mainly, of course, engineering, IT, healthcare and tourism. As I’m State Secretary for Tourism, you might know that we do have a lot of Filipinos working also in tourism, it’s approximately 20 percent,” she said.
Meanwhile, Kopf explained that Austria currently has hundreds of thousands of unfilled positions which made it necessary to set up a national strategy for recruitment.
He said up to 80 percent of the Austrian companies are feeling the shortage of skilled workers all over several fields of work.
According to Kraus-Winkler, many of the workers that Austria needs are in the fields of healthcare, services, tourism, engineering and IT.
“There might be the possibility that we have approximately 500 Filipinos coming to Austria per year for the coming years, for mainly, of course, engineering, IT, healthcare and tourism. As I’m State Secretary for Tourism, you might know that we do have a lot of Filipinos working also in tourism, it’s approximately 20 percent,” she said.
Meanwhile, Kopf explained that Austria currently has hundreds of thousands of unfilled positions which made it necessary to set up a national strategy for recruitment.
He said up to 80 percent of the Austrian companies are feeling the shortage of skilled workers all over several fields of work.
"That’s about 200,000 open positions that we have in the whole field of our economy and also resources system. And this number will increase within the next 15 years, probably 400 500,000 because of the demographic trends we have in Austria,” he explained.
Kraus-Winkler further explained that Austrian industries are also experiencing growth after the COVID-19 pandemic, which explains the need for skilled workers.
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) will open the program for private licensed recruitment agencies, once processes are in place. It will also set up a Migrant Workers Office in Vienna and appoint a Labor Attaché immediately.
“Yesterday, we welcomed the department trade mission from Austria more or less 20 companies who are of course some of them are already hiring workers from the Philippines, some are of course looking forward to hiring more workers. So as you can see this is not just the efforts of both the governments of Austria and the Philippines, it’s a partnership also with the private sector coming into play,” DMW Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne Caunan said.
The prevailing minimum wage in Austria is at 2,000 euros a month or around P120,000. But the Austrian officials say there is also a mechanism that sets minimum wages for different professional levels and ensures an increase every 3 or 5 years, depending on the industry.
"That’s about 200,000 open positions that we have in the whole field of our economy and also resources system. And this number will increase within the next 15 years, probably 400 500,000 because of the demographic trends we have in Austria,” he explained.
Kraus-Winkler further explained that Austrian industries are also experiencing growth after the COVID-19 pandemic, which explains the need for skilled workers.
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) will open the program for private licensed recruitment agencies, once processes are in place. It will also set up a Migrant Workers Office in Vienna and appoint a Labor Attaché immediately.
“Yesterday, we welcomed the department trade mission from Austria more or less 20 companies who are of course some of them are already hiring workers from the Philippines, some are of course looking forward to hiring more workers. So as you can see this is not just the efforts of both the governments of Austria and the Philippines, it’s a partnership also with the private sector coming into play,” DMW Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne Caunan said.
The prevailing minimum wage in Austria is at 2,000 euros a month or around P120,000. But the Austrian officials say there is also a mechanism that sets minimum wages for different professional levels and ensures an increase every 3 or 5 years, depending on the industry.
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The DMW meanwhile assured the smooth facilitation and regulation of the deployment process.
“We promise, a second promise your excellencies, to fast track, to greenlane the process. There will be simple steps outlined from both sides, agreed upon by both sides, so that 1 step, 1, 2, 3 etc, I hope we’re just up to step 3, are complied,” DMW officer-in-charge Hans Cacdac said.
The Philippines is the first country with which Austria has entered into a memorandum of understanding that covers all areas of mutual cooperation on recruitment and vocational training.
“This is the perfect place for them, a safe place for them to work. So I think a great working environment is what we are offering and many areas now in Austria, we will make sure they find a new home,” said Austrian Ambassador Brieger.
The MOU will ensure the protection of the rights and welfare of Filipino migrant workers, while providing them the needed support as they undergo skills assessment, education, and equivalence training and licensing in Austria.
The DMW and BMAW also agreed to develop a work-based vocational training framework and other technical capacity-building initiatives to upgrade the skills and expertise of Filipino workers.
Both the Philippines and Austria also vowed to closely work together in combatting illegal recruitment and human trafficking, as well as ensure adequate access to legal assistance and social protection for OFWs.
DMW data from 2022 showed that there are around 5,824 OFWs in Austria with around 1,220 working in the hospitality and food service category and 749 in the health and social work service sector.
The DMW meanwhile assured the smooth facilitation and regulation of the deployment process.
“We promise, a second promise your excellencies, to fast track, to greenlane the process. There will be simple steps outlined from both sides, agreed upon by both sides, so that 1 step, 1, 2, 3 etc, I hope we’re just up to step 3, are complied,” DMW officer-in-charge Hans Cacdac said.
The Philippines is the first country with which Austria has entered into a memorandum of understanding that covers all areas of mutual cooperation on recruitment and vocational training.
“This is the perfect place for them, a safe place for them to work. So I think a great working environment is what we are offering and many areas now in Austria, we will make sure they find a new home,” said Austrian Ambassador Brieger.
The MOU will ensure the protection of the rights and welfare of Filipino migrant workers, while providing them the needed support as they undergo skills assessment, education, and equivalence training and licensing in Austria.
The DMW and BMAW also agreed to develop a work-based vocational training framework and other technical capacity-building initiatives to upgrade the skills and expertise of Filipino workers.
Both the Philippines and Austria also vowed to closely work together in combatting illegal recruitment and human trafficking, as well as ensure adequate access to legal assistance and social protection for OFWs.
DMW data from 2022 showed that there are around 5,824 OFWs in Austria with around 1,220 working in the hospitality and food service category and 749 in the health and social work service sector.
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