At the 18th Continuing Education Day in Vienna, experts, policymakers and business leaders highlighted the growing importance of lifelong learning, digital skills and AI for Austria’s competitiveness. The Austrian Computer Society (OCG) participated for the first time as a cooperation partner.
The 2026 Continuing Education Study found that companies are prioritising training in digitalisation and AI (68%), followed by personal development (47%) and management skills (42%). Demand for AI training is growing rapidly, while OCG also warned that cybersecurity training is being underestimated despite increasing cyber threats.
The study showed that 68% of companies expect the importance of continuing education to increase, and 80% see it as crucial for competitiveness. Speakers agreed that workforce development is no longer a “nice-to-have” but a strategic investment in Austria’s economic future.
