GPS Carinthia opens "Campo" training and further education campus at tpv Technologiepark Villach

• State-of-the-art training and further education building officially opened after a year of construction
• 2,850 m² of space for training and further education with workshops, laboratories and classrooms
• The social partner institution GPS invests around € 9 million in the new building. with support from the state of Carinthia, the city of Villach and the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology
• New standards for domestic training of skilled workers by tenants Infineon Austria with TAK, bfi Kärnten and WIFI Kärnten
• Infineon apprentice campus moves from St. Andrä to Villach and is located in the "Campo" with 1,500m²
• GPS training "Campo" as a beacon for skilled worker training in the region

Villach, 14. October 2024 - Following the start of construction in September 2023, the new training and further education building was officially opened today at the GPS (Gemeinnützige Personalservice GmbH) site in Villach. It expands the existing GPS training area in the tpv Technology Park into a campus, which is emphasized by the resounding name "Campo". Covering an area of around 2,850 m2, the new building has space for state-of-the-art workshops, laboratories, classrooms, social rooms and offices. The "Campo" is thus a flagship for the training of apprentices as well as for the further training and qualification of skilled workers. 

The "Campo" was officially opened today by the hosts and GPS managing directors Bernhard Sapetschnig and Alfred Schuh in the presence of high-profile guests such as Peter Kaiser - Governor of Carinthia, Gaby Schaunig - Deputy Governor of the Province of Carinthia,  Günther Albel - Mayor of Villach, Peter Wedenig - GPS CEO and AMS Carinthia Managing Director, Sabine Herlitschka - Infineon Austria CEO, Günther Goach - President of the Carinthian Chamber of Labor, Otmar Petschnig - Vice President of the Carinthian Chamber of Commerce, Michael Velmeden - Vice President of the Federation of Austrian Industries Carinthia, Silvia Igumnov - ÖGB Regional Women's Chairwoman, Thomas Reisinger - Board Member for Operations Infineon Austria, Gottfried Pototschnig - Managing Director of bfi Carinthia, Andreas Görgei - Managing Director of WIFI Carinthia and Claus Marx and Manfred Vallant - Managing Directors of the Carinthian Technical Academy (TAK).  

Investment strengthens labour market

Around 9 million euros were invested by the Carinthian social partners via GPS in the new three-storey building, which was realized with the support of the state of Carinthia, the city of Villach, which provided the land, the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK) and the Carinthian social partners. An investment that pays off, because the people trained here will strengthen the Carinthian labor market in the long term as qualified specialists. 

New standards for training with a future

The new building offers attractive educational opportunities from apprenticeships to further training and state-of-the-art infrastructure under one roof with tenants Infineon Austria, bfi Kärnten and WIFI Kärnten. This creates practical and forward-looking educational opportunities that are also in tune with the times. In total, the entire Campo offers space for over 300 training places. It is a strong signal for high-quality specialist training in the region. 

Apprenticeships and further training combine theory, practice and high-tech

Infineon is the main tenant, using 1,500 m2 for its company apprenticeship campus and bringing in state-of-the-art equipment. Together with the Technical Academy (TAK), apprentices are trained in electrical engineering and metal technology for high-tech chip production. Training for Infineon apprentices takes a total of four years. Previously, the first part of the training (around one and a half years) took place at the TAK in St. Andrä in Lavanttal. The number of new apprentices at Infineon has more than doubled to 43 in the new apprenticeship year and at the new Infineon Apprentice Campus, around a quarter of whom are young women. WIFI Carinthia and bfi Carinthia together occupy around 1,100 m². The bfi Kärnten focuses on future-oriented IT and care training.  WIFI Carinthia offers career selection and preparation.

Training center with a feel-good atmosphere

The large foyer was designed as a communal area with a wood and moss look. It is a motivating learning environment that promotes the exchange of knowledge and will attract new talent. The new building was constructed in an energy-efficient way, with district heating, photovoltaic systems, electric charging systems, bicycle parking and green spaces. Catering is also guaranteed on the entire "Campo" site. To this end, the existing cafeteria will be converted into a canteen by the end of October and its capacity expanded to 100 seats. The "Campo" is embedded in the tpv Villach, where there is an established infrastructure with the university of applied sciences, companies and the hall of residence. 

STATEMENTS on the new training and further education "Campo":

Governor Peter Kaiser: "With this campus, another important lighthouse has been created for training and further education in Carinthia. In times of a shortage of skilled workers, the training of qualified employees is becoming an increasingly important success factor for our business location. In an environment of modern workshops, laboratories and classrooms, future specialists are ideally prepared for the demands of the modern working world. The implementation of this project represents a further investment in the future of our province. It also shows what can be achieved in Carinthia when all partners pull together. I would like to congratulate them on this!"

Deputy Governor Gaby Schaunig: "With the opening of the education campus, we are setting an additional milestone in the training and further education of our skilled workers and at the same time paving the way for a successful future. Carinthia as a business and technology location needs  companies that settle here and in turn need qualified specialists. This campus offers the ideal framework to make exactly that possible."

Mayor Günther Albel: "The tpv Technology Park Villach stands for business, research, development as well as training and further education. The new apprentice campus perfectly strengthens this focus on training and further education. The city of Villach has therefore laid the proverbial foundation stone for this expansion by providing the land for this campus free of charge. With the construction and opening of the apprentice campus, we are offering another modern training facility for the required skilled workers directly in Villach and supporting a forward-looking flagship project in the field of training and further education. This project is the best example of how efficiently various institutions and the public sector are working together once again in Villach."

Sabine Herlitschka, CEO of Infineon Austria: "For Infineon, apprenticeships are a proven training model and one with a real impact on the future. In over 40 years of apprenticeship training, we have trained over 650 people in the region to become high-tech specialists. We are currently training a total of over 100 apprentices, a quarter of whom are women. The Infineon Apprentice Campus in Villach is now another milestone. We are doubling the number of new apprentices, investing in the latest equipment and opening up attractive career opportunities in technology. Our apprentices are real future shapers for decarbonization and digitalization. True to the motto: Our chips are changing the world, you can do it too!"

Thomas Reisinger, Board Member for Operations at Infineon Austria: "The industry needs highly trained specialists to control, program and maintain state-of-the-art systems. The Infineon Apprentice Campus is in close proximity to our chip production and combines practical manual skills with digital knowledge. With the dual apprenticeship in electrical and metal technology and the training team from Infineon and TAK, the apprenticeship is the perfect basis for a successful start to your career. Here, students learn the skills they need to develop further in a dynamic and innovative high-tech environment. Thanks to everyone involved for the great implementation! And I wish all the apprentices every success and an exciting apprenticeship!"

Peter Wedenig, AMS Carinthia: "A look at demographic trends clearly shows that the shortage of skilled workers will increase massively in the future. Therefore, it is imperative to accompany young people on their way into the labor market in the best possible way, according to their strengths. The Carinthian Public Employment Service provides support in a variety of ways: from career guidance and advice to qualifications, such as those now being offered here at the "Campo". Companies in need of skilled workers benefit from this; young people benefit from this: Good training is the best ticket to a successful career and at the same time the best insurance against possible unemployment. All the best and good luck!"

AK President Günther Goach: "For us as the Carinthian Chamber of Labor, the creation of the necessary infrastructure and the qualification of employees are central to achieving more growth and added value in Carinthia as a production location. With this in mind, I am delighted to officially open this special place today - a place where social partnership comes to life. Here we offer young people the capital for a successful professional future through sound, high-quality training. I am also delighted that, in cooperation with bfi Carinthia, we will be able to provide hundreds of apprentices with IT training in the future. In addition, specific further training will be offered for the tourism sector in order to promote digitalization in this industry as well."  

WK President Jürgen Mandl: "The state-of-the-art GPS training and further education campus "Campo" in the tpv Technology Park Villach is a milestone in securing and increasing the competitiveness of our business location. With a targeted focus, we are not only promoting the growth of regional companies, but also laying the foundations for their sustainable success. We create the basis for a dynamic and future-oriented economy with first-class training and further education programs and an intensive, active exchange of knowledge. This investment in the qualifications of our skilled workers is a clear commitment to Carinthia's innovative strength and underlines our commitment to sustainable economic development."

Silvia Igumnov, ÖGB Carinthia: "Education is the best foundation for every person's personal future. It makes you strong, gives you prospects and creates independence. The training and further education offered at the GPS training location in Villach is a mark of quality for top-trained specialists from Carinthia beyond the state borders. Thanks to the commitment and support of many project partners, it is possible to constantly expand this quality and adapt it to the new technologies and requirements of the working world. As ÖGB, we are proud to be part of this successful path."

Gottfried Pototschnig, bfi Carinthia: "The opening of the new location marks an important milestone for bfi Carinthia. We are proud to be able to make our contribution to education and training in Carinthia. With our focus on IT and care training as well as SmartOffice L@b, we offer people in the region forward-looking and practical training opportunities. The Campo is the ideal place to join forces with our partners in the region and drive forward the further development of the educational landscape. We look forward to using this location as a center for modern learning and working and thus making a sustainable contribution to the region and its people."

Andreas Görgei, Wifi Carinthia: "WIFI Carinthia has been operating its own training center in Villach/St. Magdalen very successfully for over 20 years. The possibility of renting a separate, closed seminar area at the new GPS training location is the ideal opportunity for us to expand the WIFI offer in Villach in terms of space. A total of four classrooms on 275 m2 covering a wide range of courses such as language training, IT, accounting, communication, law and technology are at the heart of the regional portfolio. The immediate proximity to our own WIFI building and the perfect environment at the GPS site were the convincing arguments for us to invest in this expansion."

Claudia Mischensky, IV Carinthia: "The new GPS training and further education campus raises specialist training in Carinthia to a new level. Apprentices and skilled workers, who are indispensable for the future of Carinthia as an industrial location, will be trained on 2,800 square meters of state-of-the-art infrastructure. In this context, dual training, which combines theory and practice, is of particular importance and serves as the key to combating the shortage of skilled workers. Together with strong partners, we have created a forward-looking competence center that strengthens Carinthia as a location for innovation and education, and thus also contributes to the competitiveness of the location and the industrial companies. An investment that flows to a large extent into the value chain and thus secures jobs."

About GPS Carinthia: 

Gemeinnützige Personalservice Kärnten GmbH (GPS) has been a partner in integrating people into the labor market for over 20 years. This is achieved through non-profit employment projects and the provision of personnel as well as through inter-company and inter-company apprenticeship training. GPS Kärnten has locations in Klagenfurt, Wolfsberg, Spittal and a training center in Villach for metal and electrical professions.

GPS Carinthia was founded in 1997 by the Carinthian Chamber of Labor, the Carinthian Chamber of Commerce, the Carinthian Federation of Industry, the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) and the Carinthian Public Employment Service Austria (AMS Carinthia) as a not-for-profit labor transfer agency. The GPS "Campo" in the tpv Technology Park Villach continues the commitment to the training of skilled workers. Further information can be found at www.gps-kaernten.at. 

Infineon Technologies Austria AG is a subsidiary of Infineon Technologies AG, a global semiconductor leader in power systems and IoT. Semiconductors are essential for mastering the energy-related challenges of our time and helping to shape the digital transformation. Infineon's microelectronics drive decarbonization and digitalization and enable groundbreaking solutions for green and efficient energy, clean and safe mobility as well as a smart and secure IoT.

Infineon Austria pools competencies for research and development, production as well as global business responsibility. The head office is in Villach, with further branches in Graz, Klagenfurt, Linz, Innsbruck and Vienna. With 5,886 employees (including around 2,500 in research and development) from 79 nations, the company generated revenue of EUR 5.6 billion in the 2023 fiscal year (ending 30 September). With research expenditure of 672 million euros, Infineon Austria is the strongest research company in Austria.