DMW, Austria discuss employment opportunities for Filipino workers

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and officials from Austria discussed on Tuesday the employment opportunities for Filipino workers.

Austrian Ambassador Dr. Johann Brieger accompanied the delegation composed of representatives from Vienna City government and Austrian Federal Economic Chamber during their meeting at the DMW on Tuesday afternoon.

“Our partnership with the Philippine government through the DMW will create a win-win situation, providing employment opportunities for skilled Filipino workers while contributing to the growth of Austria’s economy,” Brieger said.

Professor Gunther Wiesinger, chairman of the Austrian and Vienna Association of Health Care Facilities Section, Austrian Chamber of Commerce, said, “In the course of the next couple of years, Austria has a demand for around 60,000 to 75,000 healthcare professionals with an additional 200,000 job openings across all industries.”

DMW Secretary Susan Ople said she considered Austria as a “promising labor market” for overseas Filipinos due to its high demand for skilled workers across the world.

The DMW secretary also expressed gratitude to the Austrian delegation for their interest in hiring Filipino workers.

Ople then explained to the delegation the Philippine government’s initiatives to ensure that there are enough nurses and healthcare workers in the country.

She also told the delegation of the department’s plan to launch a scholarship fund for nursing students in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

“Upon the advice of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), we would need to sign a memorandum of understanding to set the tone and define the parameters of our partnership with the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber and the Federal State of Vienna,” Ople said.

According to the DMW’s data, there are around 5,824 OFWs in Austria. Of these numbers, around 1,220 workers in the hospitality and food service sector while 749 in the health and social work service.

Among the members of the Austrian delegation visited were Christina Stieber (Commercial Counselor, Austrian Embassy) and Maximillian Buchleitner (head of International Recruitment Initiative of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber).

Also present were Julia Moreno-Hasenoehrl (Deputy Head of the Social Policy and Health Policy Department), Angelika Kulhanek (Advisor for the Austrian Association of Healthcare Facilities, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber), and Monika Badilla (Deputy CEO, Vienna Social Fund). -- BAP, GMA Integrated News