The amendment to the law passes the National Council – according to WKÖ specialist association chairman Steininger, this counteracts the shortage of skilled workers in the industry
Vienna (OTS) – “Becoming a driving instructor will be much more attractive from January 1st, 2024 – both for newcomers to the profession and for driving school owners who need new drivers. Because the new training includes more training on the vehicle and prospective driving instructors will earn their first income following just two months following a practical and theoretical initial training. At present, they only receive this following six months of successfully passing the teaching qualification exam. With these measures, we want to counter the shortage of skilled workers in the industry,” says Joachim Steininger, chairman of the Association of Driving Schools and General Transport, pleased with the resolution of the 41st amendment to the Motor Vehicle Act in the National Council.
In addition, driving instructors will be able to work in driving schools much earlier in the future, both in initial training and in multi-phase training. “The annual training of 140,000 car, motorcycle and moped drivers can thus be secured over the next few years,” emphasizes Steininger. Around 2,200 driving instructors are employed in the 440 driving schools.
The training of driving instructors continues to have a “dual character”. The learning content is more modern and the practice more than doubled. The theory is more compact (with 176 teaching units instead of 255) and is innovatively intertwined with practice (with 220 teaching units instead of 90), the training courses in the driving school academies and in the driving schools take place alternately.
An intermediate test on the computer will be introduced, with which the candidates will acquire the status of a driving instructor assistant following regarding two months. With this status, the practical teaching begins, in which the prospective driving instructors give both coached under supervision and independent driving lessons. The salary of the driving instructor assistants is already the same as the starting salary of the driving instructors. The teaching qualification examination will take place within the next four months.
The professional system will also become more permeable and attractive in the future when it comes to career steps and opportunities for advancement. Driving instructors can extend their teaching license much more easily. In the future, two years of practical experience as a driving instructor will apply to the deferment of the Matura instead of the previous five years, and the previous advancement test will be redesigned and completed tests will be recognised. Regular further training was also anchored, otherwise the teaching permit is no longer valid.
The reform of driving instruction training also brings a significant reduction in bureaucracy when assigning driving instructors for driving lessons. “Whereas newcomers were initially only able to give their students classic driving lessons up to their driver’s license test, in the future they will be able to hold perfection drives in the multi-phase and training courses where parents are involved. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved in driving school operations,” emphasizes Steininger.
Driving instructors will be easier to recruit in the future, can be deployed earlier and take their exam earlier. The new training is leaner, more efficient, cheaper and less theory-heavy. A future graduate of the teaching qualification exam has significantly more practical skills than before and can also be used widely, says Dr. Stefan Ebner is pleased that a long-standing concern of the industry has been able to get off the ground. (PWK090/DFS)
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