Austrian Ambassador Petra Schneebauer and US Deputy Secretary of State for Education and Culture Lee Satterfield signed a professional development and cultural exchange program between Austria and the US (Working Holiday Program, WHP) on February 20, 2024 in Washington.
The exchange program promotes mutual understanding by offering young Austrian and North American citizens the opportunity to learn about the culture, daily life and world of work in the other country. Young people between 18 and 30 years old can use this amount to (co)finance their stay of up to 12 months in paid employment and use educational institutions in the partner country.
As a staunch transatlantic supporter, strengthening our strategic partnership with the US is an issue close to my heart. With our working holiday program, we fill them with life and create even closer human bonds in the future,
said Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg.
The new US Working Holiday Program offers the opportunity to work during a stay abroad for which no additional work authorization is required. This benefits both Austrian citizens, who can gain valuable international and professional experience, and the Austrian job market, given the labor shortage. Foreign workers who enter the Austrian labor market under a professional holiday program often work in areas where the need for personnel is particularly high, such as in the catering industry,
said Minister of Labor and Economy, Martin Kocher.
As a special feature of the agreement, Austrian students and graduates are offered participation in the exchange program for interns and trainees. At the beginning and end of your stay you can travel to the USA for one month each. The program is also open to apprentices.
Apprentices in companies based abroad will particularly benefit from working holidays because they facilitate apprentice rotation. But this is also the starting signal for apprentices in general to set the course for stays abroad in the USA. I am very happy about it. Working holidays give young people the opportunity to think outside the box in all aspects and gain international experience at all levels. We can feel a little proud that Austria was the only EU country that managed to conclude such an agreement with the USA.
adds Secretary of State Claudia Plakolm.
So far, Austria has reached agreements on WHP with Argentina, Australia, Chile, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan and the USA.
You can learn more about WHP here.