AMS has approved 550 applications for the new Weiterbildungszeit - and refused 471, mostly for applying too early
Since 8 June 2026, employees in Austria have been able to apply to the AMS for the Weiterbildungszeit and Weiterbildungsteilzeit, the schemes that replaced Bildungskarenz. The AMS told the APA news agency that by the end of July it had approved 550 applications, with 312 still being processed and 471 refused. The great majority of refusals were not a judgement on the training itself: people simply applied too early. If you are thinking of applying, the timing of the application is the single thing most likely to sink it.
The money is better than under the old scheme for people on lower wages. The minimum Weiterbildungsbeihilfe in 2026 is 1,286 euros a month, built from 31 daily rates of at least 41.49 euros, and the amount follows an income-staged model. Including an employer contribution, the maximum is 2,163 euros a month. The old Bildungskarenz was pegged to unemployment benefit, which left low earners with far less. One condition depends on your salary: if your gross income is below half the ASVG maximum contribution basis - 3,465 euros in 2026 - you must first take careers guidance at an AMS BerufsInfoZentrum. Above that figure the guidance is not required, but your employer has to cover 15 percent of the allowance.
The rules are tighter than they were. The scheme was reformed after criticism from the Court of Audit and to save money: at its peak Bildungskarenz cost the state more than 500 million euros a year, and spending is now capped at 150 million euros annually. Once that budget is used up, no further applications are approved, so applying earlier in the year improves your odds. The AMS now funds only training that is relevant to the labour market and useful beyond your current employer. There is no legal entitlement to any of it. You need a written agreement with your employer, and it only takes effect once the AMS has approved the funding. Of those applying so far, 28.9 percent already hold a university or Fachhochschule qualification.
Two related restrictions matter for anyone on a tight budget. Since January, with few exceptions, it is no longer possible to earn a small amount on the side while drawing Arbeitslosengeld or Notstandshilfe; last year up to 551 euros a month was allowed. Marginal employment alongside the new Weiterbildungszeit is also barred, with one exception, whereas it was permitted under Bildungskarenz. The change has drawn criticism from the Greens, social organisations and people working in arts and culture, where 1,500 artists and 160 cultural institutions warned in April that conditions had deteriorated badly and left significant legal uncertainty. AMS head Johannes Kopf reads the figures differently: in the first half of 2026 around 1,700 more people moved from marginal into fully insured employment than in the same period a year earlier, about 1,000 of them with the same employer, which he calls the real success of the reform. Applications go through MeinAMS or in person at an AMS office.