The Role of the Educational and Research Institutions of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management as a Qualification and Economic Factor

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management is directly responsible for 13 higher and intermediate education and research institutions in Austria, one University of Applied Sciences, five Federal Institutes of Higher Education and Research, six Federal Universities of Applied Sciences and one University. With more than 3,500 pupils and 530 students, their teaching and service staff, these institutions fulfil an important function as specialised educational institutions with a focus on agriculture and forestry. This report analyses their role in terms of skills and economic development in rural areas (and beyond). It highlights their important role in the academic and professional training of rural youth in particular, and their positive impact on the skills and qualification structure of the rural labour market. Their graduates show above-average success both in agriculture and in other occupational sectors. This is confirmed by the graduates themselves: the overwhelming majority would choose their course again or recommend it to others