WIFI Austria - Austrian Federal Economic Chamber — Creating skills across borders.

WIFI/WKO International operates in SEE, CEE, Southeast Asia, China, and the Arab region, offering 30,000+ courses globally with 12,000 trainers for 350,000+ participants annually. With 9 provincial offices and 80 branches in Austria, WIFI collaborates with universities for educational programs from apprenticeships to master's degrees. Its courses span 8 sectors including management, personal development, languages, IT, and engineering. WIFI’s innovative learning model LENA was developed based on the results of modern research into learning and competence for the practice.

Our contribution

to the Skills4Retail project

WIFI leads skills intelligence development in Europe’s retail sector by analysing needs, strategiSing, and identifying occupational profiles and skills demands. We will conduct surveys across partner countries in vocational, higher education, and industry sectors to pinpoint urgent needs and educational gaps, emphasising green, digital, and resilience skills for the retail and wholesale sectors. Interviews with companies, educational stakeholders, and validation by retail trade stakeholders will inform the development of 4 essential and 8 emerging trainings.

Our mission

Working closely together with the Austrian trade section, WIFI strives to modernise training in retail trade.

Existing retail trade staff shall be made ready for the future by finding out what is needed in this important branch of industry, where upskilling and reskilling for employees is necessary and how gaps can be filled to increase the range of skilled labour available for the European market.