• Five-year course.
• Leaving qualification including Reifeprüfung and Diploma examination.
• Access to legally regulated professions in accordance with the Trade and Industry Code.
• Entitlement to study at an institution of higher education.
• Leaving qualification of a Compulsory Secondary School, of the 4th year or the Upper Level of an Academic Secondary School or of the Pre-vocational School (Polytechnische Schule).

General

In addition to an in-depth general education, the five-year course in an Upper Level Secondary Technical and Vocational School also provides a higher level of vocational training and concludes with a Reifeprüfung and Diploma examination. If successfully achieved, the Reifeprüfung and Diploma examination entitles a young person to undertake a course of study at a University, a University of Applied Sciences or a University College of Teacher Education, whilst the Diploma examination provides access to legally regulated professions in accordance with the Trade and Industry Code.

The recognition of relevant knowledge held by young people who have completed the Upper Level Secondary Technical and Vocational School is legally prescribed; entitlements under the Engineers Act will apply to the graduates of the majority of Upper Level Technical and Agricultural Schools.

Colleges for early childhood pedagogy (Bildungsanstalten für Elementarpädagogik) and colleges of social pedagogics colleges (Bildungsanstalten für Sozialpädagogik) are similarly structured but legally not considered as colleges for higher vocational education (Berufsbildende Höhere Schulen)

Admission

The Upper level Secondary Technical and Vocational Schools can be attended by pupils who have successfully completed the fourth year/eighth year of education at the Compulsory Secondary School, the fourth or higher year in the Academic Secondary School or have completed their ninth year of education at the Pre-vocational School (Polytechnische Schule) (with the exception of Latin, Geometrical Drawing and compulsory subjects for one's area of focus).
Pupils completing the fourth year of a Compulsory Secondary School will be required to take an entry examination in German, English or Mathematics, if they were in the lowest stream for one of those subjects or were in the middle stream, but obtained a classification of "Adequate". Pupils who were awarded a "Satisfactory" grade may be admitted following a decision by the conference of class teachers.

For colleges for the training of nursery school teachers and colleges of social pedagogics a performance test is required additionally.

The most important types of Colleges for Higher Vocational Education (BHS):

• Higher Federal Technical College (Höhere technische und gewerbliche Lehranstalt)
• Secondary College of Business Administration (Handelsakademie)
• Secondary School for Fashion (Höhere Lehranstalt für Mode)
• Secondary School for Artistic Design (Höhere Lehranstalt für künstlerische Gestaltung)
• Secondary School for Tourism (Höhere Lehranstalt für Tourismus)
• Secondary School for Economic Professions (Höhere Lehranstalt für wirtschaftliche Berufe)
• College for Agriculture and Forestry (Höhere Lehranstalt für Land- und Forstwirtschaft)
• College for Early Childhood Pedagogy (Bildungsanstalt für Elementarpädagogik)
• College for Social Pedagogy (Bildungsanstalt für Sozialpädagogik)

The next step:

The following opportunities are examples of those available to young people who successfully complete their education at an Upper Level Secondary Technical and Vocational School:

• Immediate employment in a specialist area
• Undertaking a course of study at a University, University of Applied Sciences, University of Teacher Education or another type of higher education institution
• Apprenticeship Examination (successful completion of the Upper Level Secondary Technical and Vocational School will replace the time spent training for related professions, or will enable that time to be reduced).
• Undertaking a Post-secondary VET Course in a different specialist area
• After practising a relevant profession: self-employment in a regulated profession (if necessary, after completing a qualifying examination)
• Self-employment in an unregulated trade

Sources (in German)

https://www.bmbwf.gv.at/Themen/schule/schulsystem/sa/bmhs.html

Further information can be found on the internet (in German)

Technical and Vocational Schools
www.abc.berufsbildendeschulen.at