STOISITS: SUSPENDED SPONSORSHIPS

Businesses which hire and train apprentices receive governmental funding. One of these measures was the so-called "Certificate of Education" which was issued at midterm of the apprenticeship. After the apprentice's successful finalization of the exam the training business would receive an amount of 3000 euros. Apart from the money, the midterm exam which was a requirement for receiving funding also served as a performance monitor. This system motivated businesses to offer their apprentices high quality training.

In 2011 due to budget cuts and the general economic situation funding for training businesses has been minimized. Hence, the Ministry of Finance decreed a suspension of the program by January 28, 2011. The Ministry substantiated the suspension with the fact that due to the numerous business failures induced by the economical crisis not enough money is left in the Insolvency Fund. The Fund supplies the funding necessary for training apprentices.

Now only apprentices who registered until January 28, 2011, have been allowed to attend the practical exam. Due to the suspension, businesses are now unexpectedly confronted with lacking financial means which already had been calculated by the training businesses. According to the Ministry of Finance between 17000 and 18000 businesses are affected by the suspension. These are all businesses which until January 28, 2011, had hired apprentices having knowledge of the funding.

During the broadcast Ombudswoman Terezija Stoisits demanded that all businesses which have hired apprentices until January 28, 2011, should receive the promised funding. A retroactive suspension of the program is inadequate. She also described the dependency of funding on the economical situation as a basic mistake. Further she demanded fixed allocations and the creation of alternative funding programs.

Follow Up – Unexploded Bombs: Still No Legal Basis for Aircraft Bombs?

In the past years the "Bürgeranwalt" dealt twice with problems linked to explosive remnants of World War II.: explosives which lie dormant on private as well as on public properties and thus present a huge danger for the population.

Presently legislation foresees that deactivation and removal of these dangerous findings be paid by the State. However the detection costs are to be covered by the property owners.

The solution intended by the Federal Government which was supposed to be installed through the amendment of the weapons law was not realized. In March 2011 after years of legal dispute between the City of Salzburg and the State, the Constitutional Court declined jurisdiction in this particular matter. There is no present norm in the Austrian legal system which would regulate the search for remnants of war. Hence, there is a lack of a expenses regulation concerning the entitlement to compensation claims. Prior to that, the Supreme Court of Justice declined jurisdiction and dismissed the claim of the City of Salzburg. Currently the Constitutional Court is supposed to clear the competencies in a new procedure.

Ombudswoman Stoisits criticizes the situation and demands a quicker clarification of competencies and calls for according regulations. During the broadcast she stresses the relevance of the topic since persons are constantly turning to the Ombudsman Board with complaints in regard to the topic. Also she points to the events which took place in March 2011 during which a salvage operation had to be carried out at the Graz train station.