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REGIONAL STRATEGY<br />
SOUTH-WEST-STYRIA<br />
Responsible persons:<br />
Birgit Haring / Peter Music<br />
Regional development South-West-Styria<br />
Translation: Irene Fauland, Kreativnetzwerk<br />
Legwork demographic overview: Herbert Mayerhofer,<br />
Institut für systemische Entwicklung<br />
This project is implemented through the CENTRAL <strong>EU</strong>ROPE Programme co -financed by the ERDF
List of content<br />
Regional Strategy South-West-Styria ................................................................................. 3<br />
1. Demographic overview ........................................................................................... 3<br />
1.1. Age structure ..................................................................................................... 5<br />
1.2. Development of resident population ...................................................................... 7<br />
1.3. Factors for population development ....................................................................... 8<br />
1.4. Development of the age group up to 19 ............................................................... 10<br />
1.5. Development of the age group 65+ ..................................................................... 12<br />
1.6. Educational level ............................................................................................... 13<br />
1.7. Education enrolment ......................................................................................... 15<br />
1.8. Employment Statistics ....................................................................................... 16<br />
1.9. Unemployment rate........................................................................................... 18<br />
1.10. Youth unemployment 2011 ................................................................................ 20<br />
1.11. Structure of employment 2009 by sectors ............................................................ 21<br />
1.12. Employment by industry groups .......................................................................... 23<br />
2. General aims of the <strong>regional</strong> <strong>strategy</strong> ................................................................... 26<br />
2.1. Strategy of Styria: Strategic orientation of children and youth work in 2020 ............. 26<br />
2.2. Basis of the <strong>regional</strong> <strong>strategy</strong> ............................................................................. 33<br />
3. Regional <strong>strategy</strong> and measure plan ..................................................................... 40<br />
3.1. Lifeworlds/Social infrastructure ........................................................................... 40<br />
3.2. Youth information and counselling ....................................................................... 42<br />
3.3. Youth protection and prevention ......................................................................... 44<br />
3.4. Youth culture and creative forms of expression ..................................................... 46<br />
3.5. Socio-political education and participation ............................................................ 48<br />
3.6. Education and vocational orientation ................................................................... 50<br />
4. Implementation and evaluation plan .................................................................... 53<br />
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This project is implemented through the CENTRAL <strong>EU</strong>ROPE Programme co -financed by the ERDF
Regional Strategy South-West-Styria<br />
The core region of the project YURA in Styria is South-West Styria. However, in order to secure<br />
the project’s wide effect, there were also other Styrian regions included in the pilot actions and<br />
dissemination activities from the beginning on.<br />
Therefore, the demographic analysis provides a statistical overview of all Styrian provinces.<br />
This facilitates the classification and evaluation of the statistical results of the province South-<br />
West-Styria. At the same time, it is a first step to develop and implement a youth <strong>strategy</strong><br />
based on the work in South-West Styria also in other regions.<br />
The analysis itself particularly focuses on those statistical data available also in other partner<br />
regions and which therefore enable an international comparison in the framework of the overall<br />
<strong>strategy</strong>. Besides the statistical analysis, the demographic part of the <strong>strategy</strong> also builds on<br />
further, diverse data and surveys, which are stated elsewhere and will not be gone into again<br />
here.<br />
1. Demographic overview 1<br />
The region South-West Styria is a rural area with a population of 138.207 inhabitants and a<br />
population density of 89,36 inhabitants per km². It is the fourth largest of seven Styrian regions<br />
(referring to number of inhabitants) and the second most densely populated region after the<br />
Styrian central region.<br />
On average, there live 7,23% foreigners all over Styria, with the majority of 11,14% living in<br />
the Styrian central region. The number of foreign people in the region South-West Styria<br />
amounts only to 3,93%, which is slightly more than in the neighbour regions South-East Styria<br />
with 3,42% and East-Styria with 3,38%.<br />
The number of foreign people is currently still low, however, developments show that the<br />
number of foreigners in Styrian regions and thus also in South-West Styria has continually<br />
increased over the last years.<br />
1 Source: Landesstatistik Steiermark and own calculations<br />
Page 3 / 53<br />
This project is implemented through the CENTRAL <strong>EU</strong>ROPE Programme co -financed by the ERDF
Demographic overview 1.1.2012<br />
Resident<br />
population<br />
Area in<br />
km²<br />
Inhabitants<br />
per km²<br />
Percentage<br />
of women<br />
Percentage<br />
of men<br />
Percentage<br />
of foreigners<br />
Styria 1.213.255 16.401,04 73,97 51,05% 48,95% 7,23%<br />
Regions<br />
South-West Styria 138.207 1.546,71 89,36 50,82% 49,18% 3,93%<br />
East-Styria 177.287 2.293,72 77,29 50,44% 49,56% 3,38%<br />
Styrian central<br />
region<br />
460.842 1.909,63 241,33 51,35% 48,65% 11,14%<br />
South-East Styria 89.575 1.068,86 83,80 50,63% 49,37% 3,42%<br />
Upper Styria East 164.839 3.253,96 50,66 51,29% 48,71% 6,74%<br />
Upper Styria West 103.035 3.059,90 33,67 50,89% 49,11% 4,96%<br />
Liezen 79.470 3.268,26 24,32 51,24% 48,76% 7,15%<br />
Districts<br />
Graz-City 265.318 127,48 2081,23 51,65% 48,35% 15,91%<br />
Bruck an der Mur 62.155 1.306,33 47,58 51,46% 48,54% 7,84%<br />
Deutschlandsberg 60.762 864,02 70,32 50,72% 49,28% 3,15%<br />
Feldbach 66.828 730,49 91,48 50,61% 49,39% 3,44%<br />
Fürstenfeld 22.765 264,21 86,16 51,16% 48,84% 4,30%<br />
Graz-Umgebung 143.456 1.102,93 130,07 50,86% 49,14% 5,26%<br />
Hartberg 66.617 958,82 69,48 50,30% 49,70% 3,01%<br />
Leibnitz 77.445 682,69 113,44 50,90% 49,10% 4,55%<br />
Leoben 62.728 1.099,16 57,07 51,35% 48,65% 6,82%<br />
Liezen 79.470 3.268,26 24,32 51,24% 48,76% 7,15%<br />
Mürzzuschlag 39.956 848,47 47,09 50,95% 49,05% 4,92%<br />
Murau 29.243 1.384,12 21,13 50,57% 49,43% 3,66%<br />
Radkersburg 22.747 338,37 67,23 50,69% 49,31% 3,35%<br />
Voitsberg 52.068 679,22 76,66 51,17% 48,83% 2,97%<br />
Weiz 87.905 1.070,70 82,10 50,36% 49,64% 3,43%<br />
Murtal 73.792 1.675,78 44,03 51,02% 48,98% 5,48%<br />
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This project is implemented through the CENTRAL <strong>EU</strong>ROPE Programme co -financed by the ERDF
1.1. Age structure 2<br />
In the whole region Styria, the age structure of society has in the meantime become rather<br />
unfavourable for long-term development. Especially the number of people older than 65 years is<br />
already considerably greater than the number of people younger than 15. On average, there are<br />
100 people/children aged under 15 for every 140 people over 65 in Styria, however these<br />
numbers differ <strong>regional</strong>ly. The region East-Styria is the youngest area with 121 old people for<br />
every 100 children. The second-youngest region is already the Styrian central region with 127<br />
old people for every 100 children. The oldest region in the framework of this analysis is East-<br />
Upper Styria, where there are on average already two old people for every child.<br />
There are further differences regarding the districts. In the district Deutschlandsberg, where<br />
there are 134 old people for every 100 children, the age structure is much more unfavourable<br />
than in the district Leibnitz where there are only 121 old people for every 100 children. The best<br />
age structure can be found in the districts Weiz and Graz-Neighbourhood where there are 117<br />
old people for every 100 children. The worst situation can be found in the district Leoben with<br />
214 old people for every 100 children.<br />
Another index that provides useful information is the “Nichterwerbsalterindex”, which indicates<br />
the number of people under employment age for every 100 people at employment age.<br />
Regarding this, the most postive situation is in the Styrian central region. 100 people at<br />
employment age maintain 44 people under employment age. In South-West Styria the number<br />
is second lo<strong>west</strong>, with only 46 people. The situation is worst again in upper East-Styria, where<br />
100 employed people are responsible for 55 people under employment age.<br />
Percentage<br />
0-14<br />
Age Structure 2012<br />
Percentage<br />
15-64<br />
Percentage<br />
over 65<br />
“Nichterwerbsalterindex”<br />
(number of people under<br />
employment age (to 15 and<br />
65+) for every 100 people<br />
at employment age (15-64)<br />
Age index<br />
(number of<br />
people 65+ for<br />
every 100 people<br />
under 15)<br />
Styria 13,5% 67,6% 18,9% 47,92 140,48<br />
Regions<br />
South-West Styria 13,9% 68,5% 17,6% 46,02 127,03<br />
Upper Styria 14,4% 68,0% 17,5% 47,00 121,44<br />
Styrian central<br />
region<br />
13,4% 69,1% 17,5% 44,64 130,93<br />
South-East Styria 13,9% 67,4% 18,7% 48,45 134,28<br />
2 Source Landesstatistik Steiermark and own calculations<br />
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Percentage<br />
0-14<br />
Percentage<br />
15-64<br />
Percentage<br />
over 65<br />
“Nichterwerbsalterindex”<br />
(number of people under<br />
employment age (to 15 and<br />
65+) for every 100 people<br />
at employment age (15-64)<br />
Age index<br />
(number of<br />
people 65+ for<br />
every 100 people<br />
under 15)<br />
Upper Styria East 11,9% 64,5% 23,6% 55,03 198,17<br />
Upper Styria West 13,5% 65,5% 21,0% 52,67 156,29<br />
Liezen 14,0% 65,7% 20,4% 52,27 145,90<br />
Districts<br />
Graz-City 12,8% 70,1% 17,1% 42,73 133,81<br />
Bruck an der Mur 12,3% 65,0% 22,6% 53,80 183,49<br />
Deutschlandsberg 13,7% 67,9% 18,4% 47,32 134,93<br />
Feldbach 14,3% 67,6% 18,1% 47,89 126,52<br />
Fürstenfeld 13,7% 67,3% 19,0% 48,66 138,31<br />
Graz-Umgebung 14,6% 68,3% 17,1% 46,43 117,18<br />
Hartberg 14,2% 68,5% 17,3% 46,04 121,74<br />
Leibnitz 14,0% 69,0% 17,0% 45,01 121,00<br />
Leoben 11,4% 64,1% 24,5% 55,96 214,27<br />
Liezen 14,0% 65,7% 20,4% 52,27 145,90<br />
Mürzzuschlag 12,0% 64,3% 23,7% 55,53 197,58<br />
Murau 13,8% 66,4% 19,9% 50,64 144,43<br />
Radkersburg 12,9% 66,6% 20,5% 50,15 159,64<br />
Voitsberg 12,8% 66,8% 20,4% 49,81 159,42<br />
Weiz 14,8% 67,9% 17,3% 47,31 117,16<br />
Murtal 13,3% 65,1% 21,5% 53,49 161,14<br />
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This project is implemented through the CENTRAL <strong>EU</strong>ROPE Programme co -financed by the ERDF
1.2. Development of resident population 3<br />
Between 2001 and 2012, the number of inhabitants all over Styria grew by around 2,5%.<br />
According to a prognosis by the Statistics Division, the population in Styria will have grown by<br />
another 4,8% inhabitants by 2050. While at state level the population has been continually and<br />
slowly growing, the situation is totally different at <strong>regional</strong> and district level.<br />
In the city Graz and in the districts around Graz the population will grow to a large extent, in all<br />
districts far away from Graz there will be a strong decrease of inhabitants. At <strong>regional</strong> level this<br />
means that in the Styrian central region there will be a population growth by 17,2%, in South-<br />
West Styria, as the second most dynamic region, the growth will be by 7,1%, in East-Styria by<br />
1,5% and in South-East Styria by 0,9%. The population in the upper Styrian regions will<br />
decrease between 5% and 12%.<br />
This development can be seen even more clearly at <strong>regional</strong> level. The districts with the<br />
strongest population growth are Graz-neighbourhood with 27%, Graz with 14% and Leibnitz<br />
with a growth of 11% by 2050. The strongest population decrease by 18% can be expected in<br />
the district Murau.<br />
Population development 2001 - 2050<br />
Resident<br />
population 2001<br />
Resident<br />
population 2012<br />
Development<br />
2001-2012<br />
Prognosis<br />
2050<br />
Development<br />
2012-2050<br />
Styria 1.183.303 1.213.255 2,5% 1.271.624 4,8%<br />
Regions<br />
South-West Styria 136.826 138.207 1,0% 148.010 7,1%<br />
East-Styria 176.786 177.287 0,3% 180.032 1,5%<br />
Styrian central<br />
region<br />
411.136 460.842 12,1% 539.975 17,2%<br />
South-East Styria 91.268 89.575 -1,9% 90.343 0,9%<br />
Upper Styria East 175.701 164.839 -6,2% 147.999 -10,2%<br />
Upper Styria West 109.351 103.035 -5,8% 89.817 -12,8%<br />
Liezen 82.235 79.470 -3,4% 75.448 -5,1%<br />
Districts<br />
Graz-City 226.244 265.318 17,3% 304.683 14,8%<br />
Bruck an der Mur 64.991 62.155 -4,4% 58.828 -5,4%<br />
3 Source Landesstatistik Steiermark and own calculations<br />
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Deutschlandsberg 61.498 60.762 -1,2% 62.108 2,2%<br />
Feldbach 67.200 66.828 -0,6% 68.375 2,3%<br />
Fürstenfeld 23.001 22.765 -1,0% 24.046 5,6%<br />
Graz-Umgebung 131.304 143.456 9,3% 183.345 27,8%<br />
Hartberg 67.778 66.617 -1,7% 64.985 -2,4%<br />
Leibnitz 75.328 77.445 2,8% 85.902 10,9%<br />
Leoben 67.767 62.728 -7,4% 54.899 -12,5%<br />
Liezen 82.235 79.470 -3,4% 75.448 -5,1%<br />
Mürzzuschlag 42.943 39.956 -7,0% 34.272 -14,2%<br />
Murau 31.472 29.243 -7,1% 24.030 -17,8%<br />
Radkersburg 24.068 22.747 -5,5% 21.968 -3,4%<br />
Voitsberg 53.588 52.068 -2,8% 51.947 -0,2%<br />
Weiz 86.007 87.905 2,2% 91.001 3,5%<br />
Murtal 77.879 73.792 -5,2% 65.787 -10,8%<br />
1.3. Factors for population development 4<br />
The different factors of population development and the effects on the region can be analysed in<br />
detail with the example of the year 2011.<br />
Generally we can assert that in almost all districts and regions the natural population<br />
development with regard to birth rates is negative. Only in the districts Weiz and Graz there<br />
were more births than deaths in the year 2011, in Graz around 14% and in Weiz 17%. With<br />
regard to the regions, the birth rate is currently only positive in the region East-Styria. In 2011,<br />
there were 1450 births too few, which means 1,19 births for every 1000 inhabitants, to keep<br />
the number of inhabitants stable in Styria.<br />
Due to the negative birth rates, an immigration of foreigners is necessary to keep the<br />
population stable in Styria. Due to a positive migration balance by 0,33% in 2011, a population<br />
growth by 0,22% was possible. However, the migration balance varies strongly in all Styrian<br />
regions.<br />
While the Styrian central region shows a clearly positive migration balance of 0,96% and the<br />
regions South-West Styria with 0,15% and East-Styria with 0,09% show a slightly positive<br />
migration balance, other regions in Styria (South-East Styria, upper Styria East, upper Styria<br />
West and Liezen) show a negative migration balance.<br />
4 Source Landesstatistik Steiermark and own calculations<br />
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The detailed analysis indicates that the strong immigration in the Styrian central region is due<br />
to two factors. First, the central region is the main destination of the cross-border migration and<br />
therefore profits most from immigration. Second, it can be seen that a large number of people<br />
from the surrounding districts move to the center. This results in a negative migration balance<br />
in the suburbs and a positive migration balance in the central area. Both regions, South-West<br />
Styria and East-Styria, profit from immigration of foreigners as well as from people moving from<br />
different Styrian regions to these areas.<br />
Analysis of the population development 2011-2012<br />
Population 2012<br />
Population 2011<br />
Development 2011<br />
to 2012<br />
Immigration of<br />
indigenous people<br />
of that<br />
Immigration of<br />
foreigners of that<br />
Styria 1.213.255 1.210.614 0,22% 2,73% 1,13% 3,54% 0,32% 0,84% 0,96% -0,12%<br />
Regions<br />
South-West Styria 138.207 138.140 0,05% 2,30% 0,61% 2,76% 0,15% 0,82% 0,95% -0,13%<br />
East-Styria 177.287 177.053 0,13% 2,00% 0,67% 2,57% 0,09% 0,94% 0,91% 0,03%<br />
Styrian Central Region 460.842 456.335 0,99% 4,09% 1,66% 4,79% 0,96% 0,89% 0,89% 0,00%<br />
South-East Styria 89.575 89.957 -0,42% 1,85% 0,55% 2,74% -0,34% 0,85% 0,95% -0,10%<br />
Upper Styria East 164.839 165.811 -0,59% 2,15% 1,00% 3,24% -0,10% 0,69% 1,19% -0,49%<br />
Upper Styria West 103.035 103.504 -0,45% 1,45% 0,94% 2,55% -0,17% 0,78% 1,09% -0,31%<br />
Liezen 79.470 79.814 -0,43% 1,26% 1,12% 2,65% -0,27% 0,77% 0,94% -0,17%<br />
Districts<br />
Graz-City 265.318 261.540 1,44% 4,69% 2,35% 5,74% 1,30% 0,95% 0,83% 0,12%<br />
Bruck an der Mur 62.155 62.500 -0,55% 2,06% 1,05% 3,25% -0,14% 0,71% 1,17% -0,46%<br />
Deutschlandsberg 60.762 60.851 -0,15% 2,15% 0,47% 2,55% 0,07% 0,76% 1,01% -0,24%<br />
Feldbach 66.828 67.046 -0,33% 1,77% 0,54% 2,62% -0,31% 0,86% 0,89% -0,03%<br />
Fürstenfeld 22.765 22.797 -0,14% 3,18% 0,82% 3,93% 0,07% 0,79% 1,06% -0,28%<br />
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This project is implemented through the CENTRAL <strong>EU</strong>ROPE Programme co -financed by the ERDF<br />
Emigration of that<br />
Migration balance<br />
Births of that<br />
Deaths of that<br />
Birth rates (births<br />
and deaths)
Population 2012<br />
Population 2011<br />
Development<br />
2011 to 2012<br />
Immigration of<br />
indigenous<br />
people of that<br />
Immigration of<br />
foreigners of that<br />
Graz-Umgebung 143.456 142.553 0,63% 3,86% 0,84% 4,03% 0,68% 0,83% 0,88% -0,05%<br />
Hartberg 66.617 66.730 -0,17% 1,67% 0,72% 2,55% -0,16% 0,89% 0,91% -0,02%<br />
Leibnitz 77.445 77.289 0,20% 2,42% 0,72% 2,92% 0,22% 0,86% 0,90% -0,04%<br />
Leoben 62.728 63.104 -0,60% 2,24% 0,90% 3,19% -0,05% 0,68% 1,17% -0,49%<br />
Liezen 79.470 79.814 -0,43% 1,26% 1,12% 2,65% -0,27% 0,77% 0,94% -0,17%<br />
Mürzzuschlag 39.956 40.207 -0,62% 2,13% 1,07% 3,30% -0,10% 0,68% 1,23% -0,55%<br />
Murau 29.243 29.426 -0,62% 1,38% 1,25% 3,05% -0,42% 0,79% 0,99% -0,21%<br />
Radkersburg 22.747 22.911 -0,72% 2,10% 0,57% 3,10% -0,44% 0,81% 1,10% -0,29%<br />
Voitsberg 52.068 52.242 -0,33% 1,70% 0,48% 2,11% 0,07% 0,77% 1,20% -0,43%<br />
Weiz 87.905 87.526 0,43% 1,94% 0,59% 2,24% 0,28% 1,02% 0,87% 0,15%<br />
Murtal 73.792 74.078 -0,39% 1,47% 0,82% 2,35% -0,07% 0,78% 1,14% -0,36%<br />
1.4. Development of the age group up to 19 5<br />
In international and historical comparison, the number of people up to 19 years in Styria has a<br />
very low share of only 19%. According to forecasts, this already rather low share will continue<br />
to decline to 16,7% by 2050. In absolute numbers, the number of children and young people of<br />
currently 232.182 will decline to 213.315.<br />
The highest share of children and young people in 2050 will be found in the Styrian central<br />
region with 17,48% of the total population. This will also be the only region where the number<br />
of children and young people will increase by around 9,2%. In all other regions, the number of<br />
children and young people will continually decline. The strongest decrease of the number of<br />
young people will be in upper East-Styria with 28%, the slightest decrease (except for the<br />
central region) will be in South-West Styria with 11,55%.<br />
5 Source Landesstatistik Steiermark and own calculations<br />
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Emigration of<br />
that<br />
Migration<br />
balance<br />
Births of that<br />
Deaths of that<br />
Birth rates (births<br />
and deaths)
Development age group 0-19<br />
Age group 0-19<br />
in 2012<br />
Share of the<br />
total<br />
population<br />
Age group<br />
under 19 in<br />
2050<br />
Share of the<br />
population<br />
Development<br />
in %<br />
Styria 232.182 19,14% 213.315 16,78% -8,13%<br />
Regions<br />
South-West Styria 27.564 19,94% 24.379 16,47% -11,55%<br />
East-Styria 36.488 20,58% 29.980 16,65% -17,84%<br />
Styrian central<br />
region<br />
86.424 18,75% 94.379 17,48% 9,20%<br />
South-East Styria 17.834 19,91% 14.495 16,04% -18,72%<br />
Upper Styria East 28.193 17,10% 23.414 15,82% -16,95%<br />
Upper Styria West 19.900 19,31% 14.297 15,92% -28,16%<br />
Liezen 15.779 19,86% 12.371 16,40% -21,60%<br />
Districts<br />
Graz-City 47.382 17,86% 53.179 17,45% 12,23%<br />
Bruck an der Mur 10.997 17,69% 9.807 16,67% -10,82%<br />
Deutschlandsberg 11.958 19,68% 10.223 16,46% -14,51%<br />
Feldbach 13.585 20,33% 11.399 16,67% -16,09%<br />
Fürstenfeld 4.440 19,50% 4.283 17,81% -3,54%<br />
Graz-<br />
Neighbourhood<br />
29.636 20,66% 33.020 18,01% 11,42%<br />
Hartberg 13.627 20,46% 10.451 16,08% -23,31%<br />
Leibnitz 15.606 20,15% 14.156 16,48% -9,29%<br />
Leoben 10.225 16,30% 8.388 15,28% -17,97%<br />
Liezen 15.779 19,86% 12.371 16,40% -21,60%<br />
Mürzzuschlag 6.971 17,45% 5.219 15,23% -25,13%<br />
Murau 5.822 19,91% 3.740 15,56% -35,76%<br />
Radkersburg 4.249 18,68% 3.096 14,09% -27,14%<br />
Voitsberg 9.406 18,06% 8.180 15,75% -13,03%<br />
Weiz 18.421 20,96% 15.246 16,75% -17,24%<br />
Murtal 14.078 19,08% 10.557 16,05% -25,01%<br />
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1.5. Development of the age group 65+ 6<br />
Generally, the project YURA aims to develop a <strong>strategy</strong> for young people. The development of<br />
the age group of elderly people, however, will have an enormous impact on society and thus on<br />
the conditions of the development and chances of young people. For this reason, the<br />
development of retired people will be examined in more detail in the following section.<br />
In 2050, the share of people over 65 years will have increased from the – in historical and<br />
international comparison enormous number of 18,93% – to more than 30%. If one assumed<br />
that the current employment age remained the same, there would be already 75 people under<br />
employment age for every 100 people at employment age (in comparison to currently 47). The<br />
highest share of elderly people will be in the region Upper Styria West with 34,66% and in the<br />
region South-East Styria with 34,67%, but also in all other regions the share will be rather high<br />
with 32% and 33%.<br />
Only in the Styrian central region, the number of elderly people will be considerably low with<br />
around 27%. This means that the regions, in particular the districts outside of the Styrian<br />
central region, will have to cover considerably higher expenditures for elderly people and thus<br />
less budget will be available for other activities such as youth welfare activities.<br />
With regard to the districts in 2050, the greatest ageing of the population will be in the districts<br />
Radkersburg with 37%, in Murau and Mürzzuschlag with 35% each. The districts<br />
Deutschlandsberg and Leibnitz in the region South-West Styria will also have a rather high<br />
share of elderly people with 32% and 31%, respectively.<br />
Development age group 65+<br />
Age group 65+ in<br />
2012<br />
Share of the total<br />
population<br />
Age group 65+ in<br />
2050<br />
Share of the total<br />
population<br />
Styria 229.609 18,93% 387.131 30,44%<br />
Regions<br />
South-West Styria 24.372 17,63% 47.388 32,02%<br />
East-Styria 31.087 17,53% 59.234 32,90%<br />
Styrian central region 80.639 17,50% 145.619 26,97%<br />
South-East Styria 16.757 18,71% 31.318 34,67%<br />
Upper Styria East 38.890 23,59% 47.493 32,09%<br />
Upper Styria West 21.678 21,04% 31.130 34,66%<br />
Liezen 16.186 20,37% 24.949 33,07%<br />
6 Source Landesstatistik Steiermark and own calculations<br />
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Districts<br />
Age group 65+ in<br />
2012<br />
Share of the total<br />
population<br />
Age group 65+<br />
in 2050<br />
Share of the total<br />
population<br />
Graz-City 45.457 17,13% 73.939 24,27%<br />
Bruck an der Mur 14.072 22,64% 18.328 31,16%<br />
Deutschlandsberg 11.210 18,45% 20.353 32,77%<br />
Feldbach 12.086 18,09% 23.134 33,83%<br />
Fürstenfeld 4.325 19,00% 7.963 33,12%<br />
Graz-Umfeld 24.544 17,11% 54.311 29,62%<br />
Hartberg 11.530 17,31% 21.935 33,75%<br />
Leibnitz 13.162 17,00% 27.035 31,47%<br />
Leoben 15.346 24,46% 17.150 31,24%<br />
Liezen 16.186 20,37% 24.949 33,07%<br />
Mürzzuschlag 9.472 23,71% 12.015 35,06%<br />
Murau 5.809 19,86% 8.590 35,75%<br />
Radkersburg 4.671 20,53% 8.184 37,25%<br />
Voitsberg 10.638 20,43% 17.369 33,44%<br />
Weiz 15.232 17,33% 29.336 32,24%<br />
Murtal 15.869 21,51% 22.540 34,26%<br />
1.6. Educational level 7<br />
The educational level of a region is an essential indicator for the long-term economic<br />
development potential, since a positive development of existing companies and the creation and<br />
development of new enterprises strongly depend on the existing potential of qualified and<br />
professional workers.<br />
The most important indicator is the share of people who have only a compulsory school-leaving<br />
qualification as these people always have fewer chances in a highly qualified economy.<br />
Concerning this, the best situation can be found in the region Graz where only 14,87% of<br />
people at employment age have no further education. The worst situation is in South-East<br />
Styria, where there are 22,36% of the total population with no more than compulsory<br />
education. The South-West Styria is with a share of 19,65% in the lower third of the region<br />
Styria.<br />
7 Source Landesstatistik Steiermark and own calculations<br />
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With regard to the share of high school and university graduates, which is very important for<br />
highly qualified professional fields in the future, the Styrian central region has the best record<br />
with a share of 37% of people with a Higher School certificate or a university degree. The<br />
region Upper Styria East ranks second with 21%, which is probably due to the university in<br />
Leoben. South-West Styria and East-Styria are second-last with each 18% and South-East<br />
Styria is last with 15%.<br />
Education level 2009 of people between 25-64<br />
Compulsory school<br />
(with/without<br />
graduation)<br />
Apprenticeship or<br />
vocational school<br />
Higher School<br />
Certificate<br />
(Matura)<br />
High School<br />
Styria 16,72% 57,56% 13,19% 12,53%<br />
Regions<br />
South-West Styria 19,65% 62,24% 10,58% 7,53%<br />
East-Styria 18,20% 63,76% 10,58% 7,46%<br />
Styrian central region 14,87% 47,50% 17,36% 20,27%<br />
South-East Styria 22,36% 62,32% 8,88% 6,44%<br />
Uper Styria East 16,23% 62,86% 12,19% 8,73%<br />
Upper Styria West 15,66% 65,99% 10,21% 8,15%<br />
Liezen 14,85% 66,49% 10,36% 8,29%<br />
Districts<br />
Graz-City 15,82% 37,00% 19,97% 27,21%<br />
Bruck an der Mur 16,12% 62,25% 12,71% 8,93%<br />
Deutschlandsberg 18,07% 62,50% 11,09% 8,33%<br />
Feldbach 23,51% 61,55% 8,85% 6,09%<br />
Fürstenfeld 19,50% 60,28% 11,25% 8,97%<br />
Graz-Umgebung 12,47% 60,23% 14,69% 12,61%<br />
Hartberg 19,54% 64,46% 9,52% 6,48%<br />
Leibnitz 20,89% 62,03% 10,18% 6,90%<br />
Leoben 16,59% 62,05% 12,06% 9,31%<br />
Liezen 14,85% 66,49% 10,36% 8,29%<br />
Mürzzuschlag 15,83% 65,11% 11,55% 7,50%<br />
Murau 14,66% 67,23% 9,66% 8,45%<br />
Radkersburg 19,00% 64,57% 8,98% 7,46%<br />
Voitsberg 16,75% 64,14% 11,88% 7,23%<br />
Weiz 16,82% 64,14% 11,22% 7,82%<br />
Murtal 16,05% 65,49% 10,42% 8,03%<br />
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1.7. Education enrolment 8<br />
The education enrolment indicates the number of people aged 15 to 29 who are currently<br />
attending a secondary school or high school after the compulsory school. Generally, in Austria,<br />
the education enrolment is considerably lower than in many comparable European countries.<br />
There are two reasons for this. First, due to the dual teaching system, apprentices in Austria are<br />
already regarded as part of the working population while in other countries such training<br />
programmes are still part of the schooling system. Second, the number of people graduating<br />
from universities is considerably lower, because the education level of Austrian secondary<br />
academic schools is compared to other countries exceptionally high, which is why a further<br />
education at a university of applied sciences is often considered redundant.<br />
In Styria, there are 24 young people out of 100 at the age between 15 to 29 who are attending<br />
a school or a high school, the remaining are employed (or unemployed or involved elsewhere).<br />
Here it becomes apparent that the education enrolment in Styria is lo<strong>west</strong> in the regions South-<br />
West Styria and South-East Styria with 18 students/pupils for every 100 young people at the<br />
age between 15 to 19 years. Generally, it is obvious that the education enrolment is especially<br />
low in rural areas, which is due to their great distance to schools, high schools and universities<br />
compared to urban regions. The education enrolment is automatically higher in university cities<br />
as students are usually registered as permanent residents in that city during their years of<br />
study.<br />
Education enrolment 2009<br />
Number of people<br />
aged between 15-29<br />
Number of pupils and<br />
students<br />
Share of education<br />
Styria 224601 53411 0,24<br />
Regions<br />
South-West Styria 25186 4558 0,18<br />
East-Styria 33660 6315 0,19<br />
Styrian central region 89863 26757 0,30<br />
South-East Styria 16451 2946 0,18<br />
Upper Styria East 27415 6292 0,23<br />
Upper Styria West 17949 3672 0,20<br />
Liezen 14079 2871 0,20<br />
Districts<br />
Graz-City 55825 19165 0,34<br />
Bruck an der Mur 10400 2142 0,21<br />
Deutschlandsberg 10814 2116 0,20<br />
8 Source Landesstatistik Steiermark and own calculations<br />
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Number of people<br />
aged between 15-29<br />
Number of pupils and<br />
students<br />
Share of education<br />
Feldbach 12496 2199 0,18<br />
Fürstenfeld 4029 851 0,21<br />
Graz-Umgebung 25080 5804 0,23<br />
Hartberg 12971 2379 0,18<br />
Leibnitz 14372 2442 0,17<br />
Leoben 10359 2673 0,26<br />
Liezen 14079 2871 0,20<br />
Mürzzuschlag 6657 1477 0,22<br />
Murau 5466 1180 0,22<br />
Radkersburg 3955 747 0,19<br />
Voitsberg 8958 1788 0,20<br />
Weiz 16660 3085 0,19<br />
Murtal 12484 2492 0,20<br />
1.8. Employment Statistics 9<br />
According to a last survey in 2009, a total of 47,51% of the population in Styria is employed;<br />
the highest number of employed people can be found in East-Styria with 51,74%. South-West<br />
Styria is placed in the Styrian upper middle range with 49,5%. Upper Styria East has the<br />
lo<strong>west</strong> labor force participation with only 43,33%, which can be explained by the high share of<br />
27,22% retired people.<br />
The number of unemployed people, which is 2,95% of the total population, is also relatively low<br />
in international comparison, however, this number does not indicate the rate of unemployment<br />
(see below).<br />
Concerning the region South-West Styria, there is only a slight difference between the districts<br />
Deutschlandsberg and Leibnitz, which is a great advantage for the cooperation in the framework<br />
of the common region.<br />
9 Source Landesstatistik Steiermark and own calculations<br />
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Residential<br />
population<br />
Employment Statistics 2009<br />
Under 15 Pupils and<br />
Students<br />
Employed Unemployed Household Pension<br />
and other<br />
Styria 1207414 13,93% 4,42% 47,51% 2,95% 8,81% 22,37%<br />
Regions<br />
South-West Styria 138050 14,49% 3,30% 49,50% 3,16% 8,33% 21,21%<br />
East-Styria 177048 14,88% 3,57% 51,74% 2,06% 7,49% 20,26%<br />
Styrian central region 450453 13,77% 5,94% 46,56% 3,27% 9,04% 21,43%<br />
South-East Styria 90266 14,55% 3,26% 51,05% 2,19% 7,30% 21,64%<br />
Upper Styria East 167133 12,24% 3,76% 43,33% 3,37% 10,08% 27,22%<br />
Upper Styria West 104238 13,95% 3,52% 45,83% 2,99% 9,74% 23,97%<br />
Liezen 80226 14,55% 3,58% 47,04% 2,74% 9,10% 22,99%<br />
Districts<br />
Graz-City 256319 13,13% 7,48% 44,33% 3,80% 9,94% 21,32%<br />
Bruck an der Mur 62858 12,78% 3,41% 44,05% 3,70% 9,86% 26,19%<br />
Deutschlandsberg 60976 14,28% 3,47% 49,00% 2,96% 8,21% 22,07%<br />
Feldbach 67218 14,92% 3,27% 51,42% 2,20% 7,36% 20,82%<br />
Fürstenfeld 22916 14,47% 3,71% 49,66% 2,63% 6,64% 22,89%<br />
Graz-Neighbourhood 141634 15,14% 4,10% 50,61% 2,31% 7,36% 20,49%<br />
Hartberg 66969 14,82% 3,55% 51,72% 2,21% 7,56% 20,14%<br />
Leibnitz 77074 14,65% 3,17% 49,90% 3,32% 8,43% 20,54%<br />
Leoben 63662 11,62% 4,20% 42,28% 3,34% 10,24% 28,33%<br />
Liezen 80226 14,55% 3,58% 47,04% 2,74% 9,10% 22,99%<br />
Mürzzuschlag 40613 12,37% 3,64% 43,86% 2,91% 10,15% 27,08%<br />
Murau 29718 14,32% 3,97% 48,23% 2,57% 9,08% 21,83%<br />
Radkersburg 23048 13,50% 3,24% 49,98% 2,15% 7,10% 24,03%<br />
Voitsberg 52500 13,17% 3,41% 46,50% 3,26% 9,17% 24,49%<br />
Weiz 87163 15,04% 3,54% 52,31% 1,81% 7,65% 19,66%<br />
Murtal 74520 13,81% 3,34% 44,87% 3,15% 10,00% 24,83%<br />
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1.9. Unemployment rate 10<br />
According to European standard, in 2011 the annual average unemployment rate in Styria was<br />
around 3,3% which is, compared to European regions, at the front positions. However, the<br />
unemployment rate in the regions is only calculated according to Austrian methods, which in<br />
2011 determined a value of 6,4%. The results presented in the following are therefore not<br />
suitable for international comparisons as they would be much lower according to international<br />
standards.<br />
The lo<strong>west</strong> unemployment rate in 2011 was determined in East-Styria with 5,1%, the region<br />
South-West Styria with 6,4% was exactly Styrian average. The highest unemployment rate with<br />
6,8% was determined in the Styrian central region. The highest long-term unemployment rate<br />
was finally found in upper Styria East with 0,14%. Overall, the long-term unemployment rate<br />
with 0,11% in Styria is comparatively low.<br />
In South-West Styria it is striking that in 2011 the district Leibniz (together with the district<br />
Bruck) had the highest unemployment rate of Styria with 7,2%, while the district<br />
Deutschlandsberg only had an unemployment rate of 5,6%. Styrian top-rated districts are Weiz<br />
with 4,0% and Fürstenfeld with 5,2% unemployment rate.<br />
Unemployment<br />
rate in 2011<br />
according to <strong>EU</strong>method<br />
Unemployment 2011<br />
Unemployment<br />
rate in 2011<br />
according to<br />
AUT method<br />
Number of<br />
unemployment<br />
people<br />
Women Men Long-term<br />
unemploymen<br />
t rate (longer<br />
than 1 year)<br />
Styria 3,3% 6,4% 32.414 6,1% 6,6% 0,11%<br />
Regions<br />
South-West Styria 6,4% 4.065 6,2% 6,7% 0,10%<br />
The <strong>EU</strong>-unemployment rates are not<br />
calculated for the regions.<br />
East-Styria 5,1% 3.843 4,8% 5,4% 0,10%<br />
Styrian central<br />
region<br />
6,8% 13.481 6,3% 7,4% 0,13%<br />
South-East Styria 6,2% 2.230 5,3% 6,9% 0,07%<br />
Upper Styria East 6,4% 4.294 6,8% 6,1% 0,14%<br />
Upper Styria West 6,1% 2.571 6,0% 6,1% 0,08%<br />
Liezen 6,1% 1.934 6,7% 5,5% 0,10%<br />
10 Source AMS Österreich und own calculations<br />
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Districts<br />
Unemployment<br />
rate in 2011<br />
according to <strong>EU</strong>method<br />
Unemployment<br />
rate in 2011<br />
according to<br />
AUT method<br />
Number of<br />
unemployment<br />
people<br />
Women Men Long-term<br />
unemploymen<br />
t rate (longer<br />
than 1 year)<br />
Graz City and<br />
Umgebung<br />
7,0% 12.042 6,2% 7,8% 0,14%<br />
Bruck a.d. Mur 7,2% 1.795 7,3% 7,0% 0,10%<br />
Deutschlandsberg 5,6% 1.466 5,1% 6,1% 0,08%<br />
Feldbach 6,3% 1.646 5,4% 7,0% 0,06%<br />
Fürstenfeld 5,2% 572 4,4% 6,0% 0,13%<br />
GU see Graz<br />
Hartberg 6,0% 1.753 6,3% 5,9% 0,14%<br />
Leibnitz 7,2% 2.599 7,2% 7,2% 0,12%<br />
Leoben 6,6% 1.639 6,9% 6,3% 0,17%<br />
Liezen 6,1% 1.934 6,7% 5,5% 0,10%<br />
Mürzzuschlag 5,5% 860 6,2% 4,9% 0,17%<br />
Murau 5,7% 673 5,1% 6,2% 0,03%<br />
Radkersburg 6,0% 584 5,2% 6,7% 0,09%<br />
Voitsberg 6,6% 1.439 6,3% 6,9% 0,06%<br />
Weiz 4,0% 1.518 3,7% 4,2% 0,06%<br />
Murtal 6,4% 1.898 7,0% 5,9% 0,10%<br />
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1.10. Youth unemployment 2011 11<br />
In 2011, the number of unemployed young people at the age between 15 and 25 was around<br />
6,6% in Styria. This means that out 1000 young people 66 were unemployed, the remaining<br />
were employed or in education process. Youth unemployment rates according to European and<br />
Austrian methods are not calculated for the regions; they would be much higher than the share<br />
of all young people indicated below.<br />
Here, there are great <strong>regional</strong> differences relevant mainly for the region South-West Styria.<br />
With 8,5%, the district Leibnitz has the highest share of unemployed young people of all young<br />
people, in Deutschlandsberg the rate of 6,4% is already much lower. The lo<strong>west</strong> share of<br />
unemployed young people was recorded in Weiz with only 4,8%.<br />
In absolute number presented, there are currently 641 out of 8.418 young people between 14<br />
and 25 in search for work in the region South-West Styria.<br />
Youth employment 2011<br />
Total number young<br />
people (15-25)<br />
Unemployed young<br />
people in 2011<br />
Share of unemployed young people<br />
of all young people.<br />
Styria 75.699 5.014 6,6%<br />
Regions<br />
South-West Styria 8.418 641 7,6%<br />
East-Styria 11.364 634 5,6%<br />
Styrian central region 30.196 1.915 6,3%<br />
South-East Styria 5.450 354 6,5%<br />
Upper Styria Ost 9.473 708 7,5%<br />
Upper Styria West 6.091 450 7,4%<br />
Liezen 4.707 313 6,6%<br />
Districts<br />
Graz City und Umgebung 27.254 1.678 6,2%<br />
Bruck a.d. Mur 3.493 293 8,4%<br />
Deutschlandsberg 3.659 235 6,4%<br />
Feldbach 4.105 275 6,7%<br />
Fürstenfeld 1.327 89 6,7%<br />
GU see Graz<br />
Hartberg 4.418 277 6,3%<br />
11 Source AMS Österreich und own calculations<br />
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Total number of<br />
young people (15-25)<br />
Unemployed young<br />
people in 2011<br />
Share of unemployed young people<br />
of all young people.<br />
Leibnitz 4.759 406 8,5%<br />
Leoben 3.698 256 6,9%<br />
Liezen 4.707 313 6,6%<br />
Mürzzuschlag 2.282 159 7,0%<br />
Murau 1.786 105 5,9%<br />
Radkersburg 1.345 79 5,9%<br />
Voitsberg 2.942 237 8,1%<br />
Weiz 5.619 268 4,8%<br />
Murtal 4.305 345 8,0%<br />
1.11. Structure of employment 2009 by sectors 12<br />
In 2009, there was a total of 573.669 people employed or self-employed in Styria, in the region<br />
South-West Styria it was a total of 68.338 people. The number of employed people in the<br />
farming sector demonstrates that in South-West Styria there is still 9,2% of the population<br />
working in the agricultural sector. This is the fourth-highest number Styria-wide after the<br />
regions South-East Styria with 12,34%, East-Styria with 10,63% and upper Styria West with<br />
9,26%. The least agrarian area is the Styrian central region with only 2,95% and upper Styria<br />
East with 4,77%.<br />
In South-West Styria, the share of employed people in the production sector amounts to<br />
32,56%, which is relatively high compared on Styrian level. The employment within the services<br />
sector with 58,24% is relatively low compared to the Styrian average of 65,5%. The reasons for<br />
this low share in the services sector are a small offer of public institutions (administration,<br />
hospitals, universities etc.), a small number of technical and self-employed service providers<br />
and a small number of tourism companies. A more detailed analysis is possible in the following<br />
chapter through the detailed evaluation.<br />
12 Source AMS Österreich und own calculations<br />
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Employed people in<br />
total<br />
Employment 2009 by sectors<br />
People employed in<br />
the agrarian sector<br />
People employed in<br />
the production<br />
sector<br />
People employed in the<br />
services sector<br />
Styria 573.669 6,75% 27,73% 65,53%<br />
Regions<br />
South-West Styria 68.338 9,20% 32,56% 58,24%<br />
East-Styria 91.612 10,63% 32,80% 56,57%<br />
Styrian central<br />
region<br />
209.717 2,95% 20,38% 76,66%<br />
South-East Styria 46.083 12,34% 30,30% 57,36%<br />
Upper Styria East 72.414 4,77% 34,04% 61,19%<br />
Upper Styria West 47.770 9,26% 30,46% 60,29%<br />
Liezen 37.735 7,73% 28,79% 63,48%<br />
Districts Employed people in<br />
total<br />
People employed in<br />
the agrarian sector<br />
People employed in<br />
the production<br />
sector<br />
People employed in the<br />
services sector<br />
Graz-City 113.628 0,59% 15,37% 84,04%<br />
Bruck an der Mur 27.689 4,41% 32,97% 62,62%<br />
Deutschlandsberg 29.881 9,26% 32,01% 58,73%<br />
Feldbach 34.563 11,90% 32,22% 55,88%<br />
Fürstenfeld 11.381 8,30% 28,59% 63,11%<br />
Graz-<br />
Neighbourhood<br />
71.676 5,25% 25,35% 69,40%<br />
Hartberg 34.638 11,81% 32,38% 55,81%<br />
Leibnitz 38.457 9,16% 32,98% 57,86%<br />
Leoben 26.914 3,97% 32,70% 63,33%<br />
Liezen 37.735 7,73% 28,79% 63,48%<br />
Mürzzuschlag 17.811 6,56% 37,71% 55,73%<br />
Murau 14.334 13,76% 28,55% 57,69%<br />
Radkersburg 11.520 13,67% 24,55% 61,78%<br />
Voitsberg 24.413 7,20% 29,13% 63,67%<br />
Weiz 45.593 10,31% 34,17% 55,52%<br />
Murtal 33.436 7,32% 31,27% 61,40%<br />
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1.12. Employment by industry groups 13<br />
The employment statistics by industry groups clearly demonstrates the different industry groups<br />
in which Styrian people are employed and where the economical focus points of the single<br />
regions and districts are.<br />
The great majority of a total of 573.669 employed people in Styria in 2009, namely 17,5%, are<br />
involved in the manufacture of goods, 14,8% are involved in trade, 12,9% in technical and<br />
economical services (groups K to N), 8,7% in construction business, 8% in the health and social<br />
sector, 7,8% in public institutions, 6,7% in the agricultural field, 6,7% in teaching, 5,5% in<br />
tourism and hospitality industry and 4,4% are involved in traffic. The remaining 7% are<br />
engaged in mining, energy, water, communication, art and other services.<br />
South-West Styria can be characterized by a high share of 9,2% especially in the field of<br />
agriculture and forestry, compared to the country average of 6,7%, and a high share of 13,2%<br />
in the field of construction compared to the country average of 8,7%.<br />
A rather low share in South-West Styria can be found in economical and technical services with<br />
only 10,8% (groups K to N), compared to the country average of 12,9%, and in public<br />
administration with only 5,1% compared to the country average of 7,8%.<br />
13 Source AMS Österreich und own calculations<br />
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Total number of employed<br />
people<br />
A Agriculture and Forestry<br />
B Mining<br />
Employmend 2009 by industry groups<br />
C Manufacture of goods<br />
This project is implemented through the CENTRAL <strong>EU</strong>ROPE Programme co -financed by the ERDF<br />
D Energy supply<br />
E Water supply und waste<br />
management<br />
F Construction<br />
G Trade<br />
Styria 573669 6,7% 0,2% 17,5% 0,6% 0,6% 8,7% 14,8% 4,4% 5,5% 1,5% 2,6% 1,0% 5,0% 4,3% 7,8% 6,7% 8,0% 1,0% 2,9%<br />
South-West Styria 68338 9,2% 0,2% 18,3% 0,5% 0,5% 13,2% 16,8% 4,4% 4,8% 1,2% 2,5% 0,8% 3,9% 3,6% 5,1% 5,0% 7,0% 0,7% 2,5%<br />
East-Styria 91612 10,6% 0,3% 20,3% 0,4% 0,6% 11,2% 14,5% 3,3% 5,4% 1,0% 2,2% 0,6% 3,6% 3,7% 4,8% 7,2% 6,7% 0,7% 2,8%<br />
Styrian central region 209717 3,0% 0,1% 13,3% 0,6% 0,9% 5,4% 14,7% 4,4% 5,2% 2,4% 3,1% 1,5% 7,5% 5,3% 10,4% 8,5% 8,9% 1,6% 3,3%<br />
South-East Styria 46083 12,3% 0,3% 15,2% 0,4% 0,7% 13,7% 16,3% 4,3% 5,7% 0,8% 2,4% 0,6% 3,4% 3,3% 6,3% 3,5% 7,6% 0,6% 2,7%<br />
Upper Styria East 72414 4,8% 0,6% 24,6% 1,0% 0,6% 7,2% 14,3% 5,1% 5,5% 0,9% 2,3% 1,0% 3,9% 3,9% 6,9% 6,3% 7,9% 0,7% 2,5%<br />
Upper Styria West 47770 9,3% 0,3% 20,7% 0,7% 0,3% 8,5% 13,7% 5,1% 5,4% 0,6% 2,3% 0,7% 2,6% 3,6% 8,8% 5,8% 7,9% 0,8% 2,8%<br />
Liezen 37735 7,7% 0,4% 18,4% 0,7% 0,4% 9,0% 13,6% 6,0% 8,4% 0,7% 2,6% 1,3% 3,2% 4,1% 7,9% 3,8% 7,9% 1,0% 3,0%<br />
H Traffic<br />
I Hospitality industry<br />
J Information and<br />
Communication<br />
K Finance and insurance services<br />
L Renting and real estate<br />
M Self-employed and technical<br />
services<br />
N Other economic services<br />
O Public administration<br />
P Upbringing and education<br />
Q Health and social services<br />
R Art, entertainment and<br />
recreation<br />
S Other services
Total number of<br />
employed<br />
people<br />
A Agriculture<br />
and Forestry<br />
B Mining<br />
C Manufacture<br />
of goods<br />
Employment 2009 by industry groups<br />
This project is implemented through the CENTRAL <strong>EU</strong>ROPE Programme co -financed by the ERDF<br />
D Energy supply<br />
E Water supply<br />
und waste<br />
F management<br />
Construction<br />
G Trade<br />
H Traffic<br />
I Hospitality<br />
industry<br />
J Information<br />
and<br />
K Communication<br />
Finance and<br />
insurance<br />
L services Renting and<br />
real estate<br />
M Selfemployed<br />
and<br />
N technical Other<br />
economic services<br />
O services Public<br />
administration<br />
Graz-City 113628 0,6% 0,0% 10,0% 0,5% 0,4% 4,5% 13,1% 4,1% 5,8% 3,0% 3,1% 1,9% 9,4% 6,1% 10,6% 11,5% 9,5% 2,1% 3,7%<br />
Bruck an der Mur 27689 4,4% 0,7% 25,0% 1,2% 0,4% 5,6% 14,7% 4,7% 6,0% 1,0% 2,2% 1,1% 3,6% 4,0% 4,7% 7,9% 9,4% 0,6% 2,5%<br />
Deutschlandsberg 29881 9,3% 0,3% 20,8% 0,5% 0,3% 10,1% 15,2% 4,0% 4,6% 1,1% 2,4% 0,8% 3,9% 3,7% 5,1% 7,2% 7,6% 0,7% 2,5%<br />
Feldbach 34563 11,9% 0,2% 16,2% 0,5% 0,6% 14,7% 16,9% 4,2% 5,3% 0,9% 2,3% 0,6% 3,4% 3,6% 4,9% 3,4% 7,2% 0,7% 2,6%<br />
Fürstenfeld 11381 8,3% 0,1% 18,2% 0,6% 0,3% 9,4% 13,7% 3,1% 7,2% 0,8% 2,7% 0,6% 3,5% 3,9% 4,9% 8,9% 9,1% 1,0% 3,7%<br />
Graz-Neighbourhood 71676 5,3% 0,1% 16,7% 0,7% 1,7% 6,0% 16,7% 4,8% 4,1% 1,8% 3,1% 1,0% 5,8% 4,4% 10,5% 5,3% 8,1% 1,0% 2,8%<br />
Hartberg 34638 11,8% 0,4% 17,2% 0,3% 0,7% 13,8% 15,4% 3,6% 6,0% 1,0% 2,1% 0,5% 3,3% 2,8% 5,9% 5,8% 5,6% 0,7% 3,1%<br />
Leibnitz 38457 9,2% 0,1% 16,3% 0,5% 0,6% 15,5% 18,1% 4,7% 5,0% 1,2% 2,6% 0,8% 3,9% 3,5% 5,0% 3,3% 6,6% 0,7% 2,5%<br />
Leoben 26914 4,0% 0,8% 22,0% 0,6% 1,0% 8,4% 14,3% 5,1% 5,0% 1,1% 2,2% 1,1% 4,5% 4,6% 8,7% 6,2% 7,2% 1,0% 2,5%<br />
Liezen 37735 7,7% 0,4% 18,4% 0,7% 0,4% 9,0% 13,6% 6,0% 8,4% 0,7% 2,6% 1,3% 3,2% 4,1% 7,9% 3,8% 7,9% 1,0% 3,0%<br />
Mürzzuschlag 17811 6,6% 0,0% 27,8% 1,4% 0,4% 8,1% 13,5% 5,7% 5,3% 0,7% 2,4% 0,8% 3,5% 2,9% 7,4% 3,7% 6,8% 0,5% 2,6%<br />
Murau 14334 13,8% 0,0% 13,6% 0,9% 0,3% 13,8% 12,1% 4,6% 6,2% 0,5% 2,3% 0,4% 2,3% 2,5% 9,2% 5,9% 8,3% 0,6% 3,0%<br />
Radkersburg 11520 13,7% 0,6% 12,3% 0,2% 0,8% 10,7% 14,5% 4,6% 7,0% 0,7% 2,7% 0,4% 3,4% 2,5% 10,2% 3,8% 8,6% 0,5% 3,0%<br />
Voitsberg 24413 7,2% 0,4% 19,1% 1,1% 0,8% 7,9% 16,2% 4,0% 5,2% 1,5% 2,8% 0,8% 4,0% 4,1% 9,4% 4,0% 8,5% 0,6% 2,7%<br />
Weiz 45593 10,3% 0,3% 23,1% 0,5% 0,6% 9,8% 14,0% 3,1% 4,4% 1,0% 2,1% 0,7% 3,9% 4,4% 4,0% 7,8% 7,0% 0,6% 2,3%<br />
Murtal 33436 7,3% 0,4% 23,7% 0,7% 0,3% 6,3% 14,4% 5,3% 5,0% 0,7% 2,3% 0,8% 2,8% 4,1% 8,6% 5,8% 7,8% 0,9% 2,7%<br />
P Upbringing<br />
and education<br />
Q Health and<br />
social services<br />
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R Art,<br />
entertainment<br />
S and Other recreation services
2. General aims of the <strong>regional</strong> <strong>strategy</strong><br />
The general aims of the <strong>regional</strong> <strong>strategy</strong> basically correspond with the vision of the province of<br />
Styria 2020, where in 2011 a youth <strong>strategy</strong> was developed together with departments and<br />
experts. There are some <strong>regional</strong> focus areas, which are additionally required to achieve these<br />
aims. Therefore, the vision and <strong>strategy</strong> of the province of Styria is presented in this section<br />
(General aim). In the second part (Priorities), concrete practical aspects of implementation are<br />
worked out and <strong>regional</strong> focus areas are deduced.<br />
2.1. Strategy of Styria: Strategic orientation of children and youth work in 2020<br />
Children and young people have to face an increasing pressure concerning their education and<br />
the constant competition for career-opportunities. They are expected to be self-confident,<br />
flexible and adaptable for any sort of situation. Besides the parents’ educational work and<br />
education in schools, youth work seeks to be a third, additional component in order to provide<br />
young people with all social and pedagogical support they need to successfully face the<br />
challenges of their lives.<br />
Extracurricular education as provided in Styria, has a long tradition and is meant to offer a<br />
diverse range of activities, provided by a broad spectrum of professional institutions.<br />
According to the following vision we have come up with a strategic orientation of child and<br />
youth work in 2020: Children and young people should be able to face current and future<br />
challenges self-responsibly and, according to their age, self-determinedly. They should be<br />
provided with ideal surrounding conditions to be able to develop their own personality according<br />
to their individual interests and notions. Children and young people should be regarded as<br />
independent individuals with all their diversities. Their individual needs should be taken into<br />
account as well as their <strong>regional</strong> circumstances. Children and youth work is struggling every day<br />
to make this vision come true.<br />
The official youth work in Styria will focus on the following six thematic areas:<br />
Life-worlds: children and young people in Styria should be provided with experimental spaces,<br />
which are designed according to their needs and offer them the opportunity to develop freely.<br />
They are regarded as equal partners to adults concerning the shaping of these areas and they<br />
are offered the opportunity to participate in social developments.<br />
Information on how to include children and young people in this development are being passed<br />
on to multipliers and decision-makers. This will create a basis for the participation of children<br />
and young people in the social developments surrounding them.<br />
Within the different regions of Styria there are youth-managers who will pass on the specific needs of children<br />
and young people within their area to the local decision-makers. They also connect the regions to the Styrian<br />
youth-management and the specific services available.<br />
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Youth-information and counselling: all children and young people have sufficient access to<br />
information. They know how to deal with this information and they can evaluate it. By this they<br />
are able to make self-responsible and self-determined decisions that fit their own goals and<br />
interests.<br />
Children and young people are being questioned about their favourite form of information<br />
(internet, flyers,...) and the information offered is being adapted to their ideas. Furthermore, a<br />
process will be started, that enables us to adapt to changing needs.<br />
A specific focus will be placed on offers for children and young people with special needs. This<br />
mainly targets special situations such as mobility language and media-access are concerned.<br />
Protection of minors and prevention: children and young people can evaluate risks and dangers<br />
self-responsibly. They know about the effects of their decisions. Prevention-activities will<br />
strengthen children and young people in their dealing with risks and dangers.<br />
Adults, parents and decision-makers in economy, education and society are aware of their<br />
responsibility. They are well informed and able to cope with children and young people’s urge to<br />
take risks.<br />
Youth-culture and creative expression: children and young people should be strengthened in living<br />
and communicating their specific cultures. Non-formal education should motivate them to<br />
express their interests and needs in their contact to the social environment.<br />
Special impulses should be given in regions where there are not yet any offers for children and<br />
young people to express their culture. This should help to reach new areas and target-groups.<br />
Socio-political education and participation: the given offers in the area of socio-political education<br />
and participation help young people to develop their judgment-skills and the competence to<br />
self-determined political opinions. They participate in political processes in a self-responsible<br />
and active way. Sustainable offers for participation should be installed in regions and<br />
communities (e.g.: manifestation in the mission-statement, seats in committees).<br />
Educational and vocational orientation: children and young people discover their vocation and are<br />
able to turn it into a profession. They are being supported according to their potentials and<br />
talents and can access high quality offers of vocational and educational orientation.<br />
Offers of vocational and educational orientation will be presented online in a way that is easily<br />
accessible und understandable for children and young people.<br />
Communicators working in the open youth work will be qualified to help with vocational and<br />
educational orientation or to provide contact to specific offers concerning these topics.<br />
The aim is to provide activities in all regions of Styria, which concentrate on all of those six<br />
thematic areas. So it is this set of clearly formulated priorities that should guide the Styrian<br />
youth work. Especially in times, where we have to face financial difficulties it is important to<br />
give clear directions in order to make efficient youth work possible.<br />
Finally it is of vital importance to keep children and youth work as dynamic and permanently<br />
adapting to new situations, as it has been in the past years. Only the willingness to stay flexible<br />
and to openly face every new development in young people’s cultures and problems make the<br />
realization of our vision for 2020 possible.<br />
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Cross-sectoral aims and activities<br />
Working with children and young people is cross-sectorally based on common grounds. It is<br />
paid attention to a balance of the reached target groups and to a <strong>regional</strong> availability of offers.<br />
The quality of the offers are continually improved and developed further. The content of the<br />
offers are supplemented by cooperation and networking.<br />
Principles and Contents<br />
The living situations and interests of children and young people are diversified and in constant<br />
change. This poses a major challenge to youth and children work. A good cooperation and the<br />
willingness to explore new paths are essential preconditions for the development of current and<br />
adequate offers.<br />
- New ideas for an interdisciplinary cooperation in children and youth work are promoted<br />
- The province of Styria deals with international trends and developments and provides<br />
access to this knowledge. It provides information from other federal states and nations<br />
to support the development of new ideas<br />
- Actions and projects are based on the latest developments and utilise synergy effects.<br />
Forms of access of the work with children and youth in the province of Styria<br />
There are different forms of access to reach children and young people. For example:<br />
- Open youth work: children and young people are assisted and guided in youth centres,<br />
youth clubs/cafés and also in public spaces. Children and young people are provided with<br />
opportunities and offers, which are mainly focused on social developments. The cooperation of<br />
the groups is in constant change as well as is the intensity of the offers.<br />
- Youth work in organizations: this is the oldest form of youth and children work in Austria.<br />
In unions and organizations with clearly defined values and ideologies, young people and<br />
children are assisted in „becoming adults“. This form of youth work guarantees a higher level of<br />
regularity of the offers and homogeneity of the groups.<br />
- Social work in schools: here the access to children and young people is made possible<br />
through schools. This form of work deals with social issues, which cannot be coped with in class<br />
and which are often the reason for the high number of poor students. This offer should also<br />
support teachers. However, the issues do in no way differ from those of the open youth work or<br />
the organizational youth work.<br />
- Social Media: young people use social media to inform themselves about their social<br />
environment, but also to orient themselves concerning political and civil-social questions, to<br />
establish and involve themselves as well as to encourage others to participate. Thus, working<br />
with children and young people has the function to provide, to instruct and guide a place for<br />
self-defined exchanges of young people.<br />
These forms of access display a great number of interfaces of content and synergies. The<br />
province of Styria aims to use these synergies in order to contribute to an efficient and effective<br />
agreement of the offers in Styria.<br />
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Target groups<br />
The offers of youth and children work support the individual developments taking into account<br />
the diversity „in all facets“. According to the principles and aims of the „Charta des<br />
Zusammenlebens in Vielfalt in der Steiermark“ entry barriers are to be removed and children<br />
and young people should be given the possibilities to participate in social life independent of<br />
their education level, their origin or their family background. Children and young people often<br />
share the same interests, however, in many respects, they have also different requirements,<br />
which are determined by age, sex, family background, <strong>regional</strong> conditions as well as their<br />
individual, specific talents and interests.<br />
Basically, children and youth work should address all children and young people who these<br />
offers are relevant for. The diversity of the reached target groups should be an approximate<br />
representation of the actual social diversity in Styria.<br />
Regionality<br />
In the next few years, the province of Styria will support projects, which contribute to<br />
providing an approximate representation of the actual diversity in Styria for the reached<br />
target groups. One important aim will be to improve fairness and to include groups that<br />
have so far been underrepresented<br />
A particular concern is to support institutions and projects, which set out to equally<br />
reach all different target groups.<br />
The province of Styria supports institutions and projects, which address the problem of<br />
social exclusion and remove entry barriers by specific measures and thus encourage and<br />
promote the autonomous participation of deprived target groups in social life.<br />
The focus on the particular target group only makes sense if this is the basis for the<br />
participation of the target group in a pluralistic, diverse life in the first place.<br />
The province of Styria is a federal state with special <strong>regional</strong> features. Consequently, the youth<br />
and children’s interests vary by region. Additionally, the infrastructural and cooperative<br />
preconditions vary.<br />
The offers of children and youth work should be available all over Styria. The offers vary<br />
by region. It is a major concern of the province of Styria to provide a balanced <strong>regional</strong><br />
offer for all children and young people in Styria.<br />
To guarantee this balance, the <strong>regional</strong> networking is promoted on site by local youth<br />
managers. They should function as central interfaces for children and youth work in the<br />
region and, in agreement with the <strong>regional</strong> management, undertake tasks, which might<br />
comprise the following fields: coordination of <strong>regional</strong> offers, strategic cooperation with<br />
political assemblies, lobbying at <strong>regional</strong> multipliers, recovery of <strong>regional</strong> needs of<br />
children and young people as well as the working out of development concepts with<br />
institutions, children and young people on site.<br />
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Quality and Criteria for eligibility<br />
The province of Styria cooperates with people engaged in youth and children work for the<br />
operational implementation of the fields of action and their direction of effectiveness. The<br />
province of Styria promotes educational and advanced training of people working with children<br />
and young people by establishing a training course for youth and social work. It ensures the<br />
comparability of trainings at a higher education level of persons who work with children and<br />
young people to guarantee the quality of children and youth work and to provide youth and<br />
children workers with versatile development opportunities.<br />
The province of Styria promotes institutions and projects. The current criteria for eligibility<br />
provide a clear framework with regard to the necessary strategic orientation and quality of the<br />
work with children and young people.<br />
People who work with children and young people have the following qualifications:<br />
Basic pedagogical education (for example university study, college...), additional issuespecific<br />
certificated trainings<br />
Experience in using and applying the methods<br />
Institutions and projects are characterised by:<br />
Good functional concepts and variety of methods. They refer to existing offers of<br />
the respective field of action.<br />
Inclusion of target groups in the process of development and evaluation as part<br />
of quality control processes<br />
Obligation to self-evaluation with regard to measuring the effectiveness<br />
The application of the offers is designed in a way that the selected media, <strong>regional</strong><br />
structures and accesses enable the participation of the intended target groups<br />
(see also diversity of the target groups)<br />
All arrangements and activities, in any case, meet the principles of children and youth<br />
work in Styria (see also the section basic principles)<br />
Adherence to the law for the protection of youth in Styria<br />
The province of Styria particularly supports the development of<br />
cooperative and interdisciplinary ideas which promote innovation as well as<br />
networking<br />
projects which have the potential to show structural changes<br />
Youth and children work requires a profound planning basis in order to set the right priorities<br />
in the province of Styria. Accounts of promotion (projects and basic promotion) provide a quick<br />
overview of statistical data and qualitative characteristics of institutions and projects.<br />
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The province of Styria ensures that the reporting and promotion system contains<br />
relevant statistical data and valuable practical information with regard to the direction<br />
and, above all, the measurement of effectiveness.<br />
Cooperation and networking<br />
Children and youth work needs adults as well: children and young people are supposed to<br />
participate actively in creating their lifeworlds. This presupposes that adults provide their<br />
children and young people with the opportunities to participate in creating processes.<br />
The province of Styria contributes to sensitization, attempts to bring about an understanding<br />
and establishes processes that give young people and children the possibility for participation.<br />
Specifically this means:<br />
The province of Styria supports cooperation and networking of youth and children work –<br />
within the province of Styria as well as with other federal states.<br />
Youth and children work is interface work – it overlaps with other family- and socio-politically<br />
relevant fields of politics. It is actively involved in villages and communities as well as intermunicipally<br />
and in schools. The province of Styria endeavours to establish cooperation on a<br />
partnership basis for youth and children work. It is actively advocating a continual exchange<br />
and the cooperation of policy and administration with the following aims:<br />
Agreement of activities, promotions, quality standards<br />
Development of common standards of the education of youth, health and social workers<br />
The main principles of children and youth work<br />
All institutions involved in working with children and young people are obliged to observe the<br />
following main principles:<br />
Meeting on equal terms: adults give children and young people the feeling of selfesteem<br />
and respect<br />
Voluntariness: children and young people decide on their own whether to use an offer<br />
or not<br />
Openness and low-threshold: all people who show interest are allowed to participate<br />
Low competitive pressure and dispensation with performance assessment in<br />
the conventional sense: the offers assist integral development of children and young<br />
people. They obtain feedback and suggestions for self-reflection.<br />
Orientation of resources: the focus is on discovery and development of own talents<br />
Qualification for independent acting and thinking: young people are encouraged in<br />
their reflective faculty and in making and realizing their own decisions independently<br />
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Self-responsibility: the possibility, ability and willingness to take the responsibility for<br />
the own actions and to bear their consequences<br />
Co-determination and active participation: the offers are designed and created<br />
together with children and young people<br />
Interconnection of acting and learning: young people learn by independently testing<br />
and operating in their environment as well as by instructed reflections on these activities<br />
and the resulting experiences.<br />
Orientation in the living environment: young people are considered individuals<br />
within the complex interaction of aspects of their life world; the offers therefore include<br />
the lifeworlds<br />
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2.2. Basis of the <strong>regional</strong> <strong>strategy</strong><br />
The following paragraphs will briefly explain the foundation, which the <strong>regional</strong> <strong>strategy</strong> of<br />
South-West Styria is based on. This <strong>strategy</strong> is framed by the Youth Strategy 2020 of the<br />
province of Styria, by current research reports, literature and <strong>strategy</strong> papers of the European<br />
Union and <strong>regional</strong> politics.<br />
The principles of the Gender Mainstreaming, the diversity and the inclusion should be taken<br />
account of on all levels. The equality of women and men is part of the common values the<br />
European Union (<strong>EU</strong>) is based on (Art. 2 <strong>EU</strong>V). The promotion of equality of women and men<br />
belongs to the European Union’s list of tasks (Art. 3 Par. 3 <strong>EU</strong>V) as well as the duty to abolish<br />
inequality in all <strong>EU</strong> activities and the promotion of equality of women and men (Art. 8 VA<strong>EU</strong>).<br />
Regarding diversity, the Charta of Coexistence, which was created by the province of Styria,<br />
becomes important. There it is stated that the aspect “social diversity” is taken into<br />
consideration for all plannings referring to coexistence since equality of opportunity can only<br />
exist where there is barrier-free access to public and publicly financed services and offers.<br />
Discriminations due to sex, skin colour, religion, national and social origin, sexual orientation,<br />
age, disability etc. is to be tackled in a resolute way as discrimination causes considerable<br />
material and immaterial damage and represents serious obstacles of social coexistence. The<br />
principle of inclusion will be also considered in the planning of strategies. The principle of<br />
inclusion believes that every human being is a valuable part of society independent of origin,<br />
disability, sexual orientation and age.<br />
Moreover, the results of the pilot action “future laboratory South-West Styria” of a <strong>regional</strong><br />
participation process were included in the <strong>regional</strong> <strong>strategy</strong> to sufficiently consider <strong>regional</strong><br />
requirements. The results of the future laboratory show that the attachment to a region is a<br />
crucial factor for people in deciding to stay in the region or, after the completion of a study and<br />
the acquisition of experience outside the region, to come back to the region.<br />
The attachment to the region results from offers of the region and from active involvement of<br />
young people in the region. Young people who are engaged in associations and play an active<br />
part in the region generally feel more comfortable and better informed and involved than young<br />
people who are not part of an association. Furthermore, young people who are actively<br />
participating think that for them it is easier to find a job in the region than for those who are<br />
uninvolved. The attachment to the region is increased through jobs, education and advanced<br />
training opportunities as well as through leisure facilities and active participation.<br />
Above all, there are two issues, which seem to be especially significant regarding this aspect.<br />
This became apparent from the results of the questionnaires and the results of the focus groups<br />
of the future laboratory.<br />
Information and mobility also have a direct influence on all other fields of action and should<br />
therefore particularly be taken into consideration, especially with regard to life quality and the<br />
attachment to the region. Also, there has to be put a focus on the issue of gender as it is<br />
especially difficult for young women and girls in rural areas. This concerns several areas<br />
(participation in associations, leisure facilities, mobility, and education/profession)<br />
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In general, it can be said that a great number of young people already show high attachment to<br />
the region South-West Styria (particularly to the municipality) and enjoy living here. They<br />
speak especially positively about the beauty of the surroundings (nature, calmness, idyll,<br />
safety, pure air, mountains) and also the culture (wine restaurants, events) is regarded as<br />
positive.<br />
Most young people of South-West Styria think that the ideal region would a combination of<br />
urban and rural areas – all advantages of rural life combined with all advantages of urban life<br />
(trams, pubs, leisure facilities, diversity, education and job opportunities). A great number of<br />
young people would even accept to commute to be able to combine these things, mainly<br />
because they do not want to give up their social networks in the region (family, friends).<br />
The perfect region was described by young people of the focus groups in the following way: the<br />
perfect region has a good public transport system, offers a great variety of associations and<br />
organisations, offers enough leisure facilities affordable and adequate for young people,<br />
provides enough education and advanced training opportunities and reaches the information<br />
competence of young people.<br />
Information<br />
It can be seen from the pilot action “future laboratory South-West Styria” that the media and<br />
the methods that inform young people about the region often do not correspond with the<br />
channels young people use. However, valuable information is very important for young people<br />
to be informed about opportunities for mobility, possibilities of participation, job- and education<br />
opportunities, leisure facilities for young people and it also plays an important role when it<br />
comes to increasing the attachment to the region. (comp. YURA report)<br />
Many young people for instance criticize that they are not enough informed about the<br />
opportunities they have after graduating from school. In their opinion, neither schools nor other<br />
institutions provide enough and good information. They especially miss direct and easy access<br />
to information (compare Dax, 2002, p. 150)<br />
For this reason, it is important to work towards information competence. Information<br />
competence refers to the abilities that are necessary to find information and to evaluate and<br />
use it. Especially for young people it is essential to know how to do research properly and to<br />
detect the aspects, which indicate whether information is reliable and relevant as well as the<br />
ability to organize information and to pass it on to third parties in an adequate form. According<br />
to researchers, the development during the last years clearly indicates that the amount of data<br />
and information and the availability of technologies are constantly growing.<br />
The strengthening of information competence and transfer can also be seen in the context of<br />
the European Charta Youth Information, which states that in a complex society and an<br />
integrated Europe entailing a lot a challenges and possibilities, the access to information and<br />
the ability to evaluate and use information is more important than ever for Europeans.<br />
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Mobility<br />
Mobility is a central issue for young people in the region South-West Styria.<br />
Municipalities face the challenge to create sustainable offers for people despite a decreased flow<br />
of funds and to promote the many positive aspects of rural life as well as to constantly adjust<br />
the offers to young people’s needs. In the course of the future laboratory it became clear that<br />
there is a wide range of leisure facilities offered in the single municipalities. In this area there<br />
will be special need for <strong>regional</strong> cooperation to reduce costs and share resources. This means<br />
that there is need for mobility opportunities in the evening and on weekends especially for<br />
younger people to be able to observe the offers. Very often, the missing of public transfer is<br />
substituted at home, which means that parents have to become their children’s taxi drivers.<br />
“Everything is scattered and spoilt. There is hardly anything in the near surrounding.”<br />
This shows that there is need for optimized and flexible offers to meet the young people’s<br />
needs, the need for public transport, however, changes with motorization (moped, car) from<br />
leisure facilities towards going out in the evenings. The most important issues for young people<br />
are improved (especially uniform) transport connections, flexible and affordable taxis, more<br />
public transport on weekends and especially in the evenings (concerts, going out, events,<br />
cinema) but also better connections to shopping centers.<br />
“Nobody knows when and where the busses are running and where they are going”.<br />
Most young people start to commute between home and work very early on. With the help of<br />
proper mobility opportunities it could be possible to keep young people who work outside of the<br />
region in their home region. The stronger the attachment to the region the more probable is it<br />
for young people to accept commuting if it is later necessary.<br />
With regard to the expansion of individual spheres of operation, the expansion of public<br />
transport also plays a crucial role. It would be rather important to establish a public transport<br />
system, which covers also peripheral rural regions and enables a consumer-orientated usage in<br />
order to reduce the dependency on costly and environmentally polluting private motorized<br />
transport (which is rather important for young people). Thus, young people could have easier<br />
access to local and <strong>regional</strong> offers and the exclusion of development- and participation<br />
possibilities could be avoided. (cf. Dax, 2002. p. 177)<br />
Young people living in rural areas have to be mobile. As they are to a great extent dependent<br />
on their parents and public transport, the purchase of a car or a moped happens rather early.<br />
This enhances independence and the social status. With respect to the difference between girls<br />
and boys it is a fact that girls still have less mobility opportunities than boys. The lack of<br />
particularly higher qualified and future-safe education-/ job-/ advanced training opportunities<br />
forces young people to commute and moreover contributes, especially in structurally weaker<br />
regions, to the migration pressure of younger qualified working people (especially young<br />
women)<br />
Prevention and Health<br />
Concerning prevention and health there will be no direct focus in our region. However, we will<br />
attempt to include preventive and mobile offers for young people more strongly in the region as<br />
they are an important support for young people, especially in a crisis situation.<br />
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For young people health is never an end in itself. They do not wish to live healthy; they only<br />
want to be beautiful and feel comfortable, which means that diabetes prophylaxes does not<br />
make young people eat healthier food. They eat healthier food to stay slim or because they<br />
think it will make them feel more comfortable.<br />
If someone wants to reach young people with this issue it is essential to use the proper<br />
language code. Communication among young people generally focuses on images, which means<br />
that one has to convey the message by means of images and symbols. It has become more<br />
difficult for young people to grow up healthy. Stress and pressure to perform have increased.<br />
Even young people have to show that they can meet the demands. Mental, physical and social<br />
problems among young people and children have increased during the last years. Already<br />
teenagers hear that they have to plan their lives. They also hear that they have no time to lose<br />
and that they can never catch up on what they miss now. It would be therefore most important<br />
to give young people back an unplanned life of freedom and spontaneity (cf. Heinzlmaier, 2012,<br />
p. 35).<br />
Leisure time<br />
The number and range of leisure facilities offered in the region play a key role - they have<br />
already been a focus of the future laboratory – as they can enhance the attachment to the<br />
region and the quality of life. This in turn has a considerable influence on the decision whether<br />
people stay in the region or leave it. In this context, it was noted that there is need for cultural<br />
events appropriate for young people (concerts, theatre, …) and youth centers that offer play<br />
activities (Darts, Billiard,…) as well as cinemas, an indoor swimming pool and shopping<br />
possibilities.<br />
“There are already many offers, but we can hardly afford them”.<br />
Also youth pubs, sports facilities (football, skatepark) and culinary offers (kebab stands) are<br />
subjects of discussion among young people.<br />
“We need offers suitable for young people … why should I go ice-skating or bowling with a sixty<br />
year old? Money is not important, it can be any room. But I don´t want to have any strange<br />
psychologists or caretakers at my side” (compare YURA “Zukunftslabor” report).<br />
To young people, fashion (consumption), music and sport are rather important things; sport,<br />
though, is increasingly done in a post traditional context, which means outside of traditional<br />
sports clubs. When young people do sports, the central focus is cast on the body.<br />
More and more young people spend their leisure time outside of their family environment. This<br />
means that young people prefer to spend time with people of the same age. Such “peer groups”<br />
play a crucial role in children and young people’s creation of their lifestyle and leisure activities<br />
and are an important socialization entity, which significantly supports the development of<br />
standards and behaviour patterns.<br />
Many young people in rural areas combine traditional and modern elements in their leisure<br />
activities. Punk, Disco, rural youth and national costume associations do not exclude each other<br />
anymore. What young people decide to do in their leisure time in the end also depends on the<br />
resources and offers they have. Apart from rooms for clubs and associations, there are several<br />
public places young people use as meeting points. If there is a high discrepancy between<br />
aspiration level and real possibilities in rural areas it can happen that the need for action<br />
“deviates from the rails”. (cf. Freilinger, 2005, 56ff)<br />
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All in all, the amount of young people’s leisure time has strongly decreased. What is striking is<br />
the high level of passivity and the strong tendency towards consumption of young people in<br />
their leisure time. Young people today like watching TV, listening to music and passively taking<br />
part in events. This demonstrates that young people today feel attracted to consumption offers<br />
and do not wish to become an active part in the creation of their environment. Young people<br />
tend towards consumption because they are searching for youth culture, people of the same<br />
age, sociability, independence and because they want to be someone. As these things hardly<br />
can be found in the commercial sector, disappointment is very often the result of consumption.<br />
Young people cannot find the things they expect to find through consumption. Consequently, a<br />
lot of young people suffer from behaviour similar to addiction (alcohol consumption, vandalism)<br />
(cf. Hiessl, Kern, 1997, S38ff)<br />
The understanding of leisure time has changed in quality and quantity. Leisure time is more<br />
than relaxation time. It means life quality and well-being.<br />
Participation<br />
Specifically in order to ensure that young people use leisure facilities, it is essential to involve<br />
young people in plannings and offers for young people and to reflect on such issues together<br />
with them. During the pilot action future laboratory it became apparent that the active<br />
participation of young people in political processes is a good idea. The participation of young<br />
people in decision processes concerning themselves is even anchored in law (UN – Convention<br />
on the Rights of the Child, <strong>EU</strong> – White Paper, national action plans, <strong>styria</strong>n citizen´s rights law,<br />
<strong>styria</strong>n law for youth promotion, <strong>styria</strong>n law for the protection of children and youth)<br />
The young population can be regarded as a bad sign for a successful future of the region<br />
because of their underrepresentation. However, young people are just the people who are<br />
positive towards change and who have the possibility to create their own life to be able to<br />
actively take part in structural processes of renewal and reorientation. Unfortunately, young<br />
people who are highly qualified are exactly those who tend to leave the “crisis region”. Young<br />
people just as adults need appropriate incentive structures, which facilitate the active<br />
participation in their cultural and social environment. This is especially the case for those groups<br />
of young people who are less involved in the development of rural areas and who have to be<br />
motivated in the first place to become involved in such processes.<br />
The results of the inquiries of the province of South-West-Styria also show that neither<br />
stakeholders nor young people are satisfied with the participation opportunities. Both sides<br />
express an interest in improving this situation. It will be necessary to find new opportunities for<br />
participation, which adjust to the everyday language and culture of young people. In this<br />
context, it is furthermore important to be familiar with young people’s lifeworlds and means of<br />
expression and to get to know the social infrastructure relevant for young people.<br />
SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE<br />
Social infrastructure is examined on two levels. First, on the level of privately used and “useful”<br />
infrastructure young people can find in their region and second on the level of the infrastructure<br />
young people use in a broader context of their lifeworld analogous to the field of action of the<br />
<strong>strategy</strong> “Lebenswelten”.<br />
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Many things have already been well developed in South-West Styria (health care, Pubs,<br />
educational institutions, apartments, leisure facilities). In concrete cases, as abovementioned it<br />
is about mobility and information.<br />
PROFESSION, EDUCATION AND ADVANCED TRAININGS<br />
This was also the main issue of the future laboratory South-West Styria and will be a decisive<br />
factor for young people to stay in a region or leave it. Above all, career- and educational<br />
orientation should be given particular consideration, because, even though they are<br />
systematically anchored, the methods used are apparently not applicable to inform young<br />
people.<br />
High-quality education and advanced training opportunities are essential for young people. Most<br />
people are used to commuting, however, they nevertheless would be happy about offers in their<br />
region (workshops and courses, for example Zumba, apprenticeship after school leaving<br />
examination, offers for self-improvement, non-formal education offers). As far as job<br />
opportunities in the region are concerned, the majority of people seems to be satisfied; due to<br />
the low distance to Graz, most people do not consider commuting a problem. Concerning this, it<br />
seems to be slightly easier for boys. The educational biography of every single person, of<br />
course, plays a key element when it comes to the decision of leaving or staying in the region.<br />
For most students it is rather important to find their dream job, to enjoy their work, to have a<br />
comfortable working atmosphere and of course wages, safety and career prospects also play<br />
important roles (surprisingly not as important as expected).<br />
Several young people think that it is a disadvantage to have mainly small companies in the<br />
region, because they believe that they have better opportunities in bigger companies (especially<br />
as far as stays abroad are concerned). Moreover, the information about companies and<br />
opportunities in the region is comparatively not very extensive at present, especially with<br />
regard to smaller companies.<br />
“The family environment has advantages and disadvantages. Money is not everything. The<br />
surroundings should be appropriate.”<br />
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REGIONAL YOUTH MANAGEMENT<br />
The <strong>regional</strong> youth management installed in South-West Styria in March 2012 should in<br />
particular contribute to the implementation of the <strong>regional</strong> <strong>strategy</strong>.<br />
In order to <strong>regional</strong>ly connect youth work, there are focal points in each of the seven greater<br />
regions in Styria. They coordinate actions referring to the six fields of action according to the<br />
strategic direction “children and youth work 2020”. They operate at the (<strong>EU</strong>-)<strong>regional</strong><br />
management. Models with youth-relevant institutions are worked out in strategic cooperation<br />
with political bodies and also together with young people.<br />
The overall aim is to strengthen youth work in the region and to understand their offers as<br />
socio-pedagogical field of action in addition to the upbringing by parents, school education and<br />
professional training. Furthermore, “youth” should already play an important factor in the<br />
planning phase of different <strong>regional</strong> issues and children and young people should be included<br />
until the decision phase. After all, central services of departments of youth work should be used<br />
in the region according to the needs and target groups. Finally, the <strong>regional</strong> youth management<br />
is concerned with lobbying on site through public relations. An important area of activity is<br />
therefore the connection of youth work among itself and the connection with politics and<br />
administration.<br />
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3. Regional <strong>strategy</strong> and measure plan<br />
The <strong>regional</strong> <strong>strategy</strong>/measure plan is divided into the same six thematic fields as the Styria<br />
Youth Strategy “Strategic orientation of children and youth work in 2020”.<br />
3.1. Lifeworlds/Social infrastructure<br />
Children and young people in Styria find fields for experimentation and rooms for creation,<br />
which match their needs and provide place for them to develop freely. They are acknowledged<br />
as equal partners of adults in the creation of these “rooms” and have the possibility for<br />
participation in society.<br />
Principles and Contents<br />
- The lifeworld comprises the entirety of all spatial and social references and relations of a<br />
child or a young person. Besides the concrete social environment it can also include<br />
virtual worlds.<br />
- The different needs of children and young people and their diversified lifeworlds were<br />
collected. A rolling process makes it possible to cover the dynamic changes of children<br />
and young people’s needs, to keep the knowledge up to date and deduce needful offers.<br />
- Information about the possibilities of how to integrate children and young people into the<br />
creation process of these rooms is transferred to multipliers and decision makers in order<br />
to create a basis for the consideration and participation of children and young people.<br />
- Current national and international insights into “lifeworlds” are integrated into the work<br />
Target groups<br />
- Young people, independent of their level of education, social environment, <strong>regional</strong> origin<br />
etc.<br />
- Decision makers in municipalities, regions and at national level<br />
Regionality<br />
- Regional youth managers work in the different regions and communicate the needs and<br />
interests of children and young people of the region to decision makers. They function also as<br />
link between the regions, the administration and the departments and their offers<br />
Quality and eligibility criteria<br />
- Besides the generally applied eligibility criteria in the context of the law for youth<br />
promotion, there are specific guidelines for open and organised youth work of the field of<br />
action<br />
Cooperation and networking<br />
- On the part of the province of Styria, inter-agency synergies (youth is an interdisciplinary<br />
issue) are made visible and possibilities for cooperation are recognized<br />
- The <strong>regional</strong> youth managers work as lobbyists in the regions and form links to relevant<br />
<strong>regional</strong> actors<br />
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Regional Strategy:<br />
- Collection of existing offers<br />
Measures:<br />
- A municipality QuickCheck focus youth will be conducted covering the entire area of the<br />
region to collect information about existing infrastructure, leisure facilities, participation<br />
offers, mobility and possibilities of information. This will be conducted in cooperation<br />
with the province of Styria FA6a, beteiligung.st – department for citizens, children and<br />
youth participation and the Association for open youth offers<br />
- Compaction of this data by young people and <strong>regional</strong> actors<br />
Representation of existing infrastructure for young people:<br />
- Offers for young people which are deduced from the municipality QuickCheck will be<br />
provided online and made transparent in appropriate channels for young people,<br />
stakeholders and <strong>regional</strong> actors<br />
- Transfer of the results to regions, municipalities and youth centers<br />
The planning of necessary offers:<br />
- With the planning of necessary additional offers a <strong>regional</strong> discussion process will be<br />
initialized due to the results together with departments, young people and political<br />
actors. This will be mainly done by the <strong>regional</strong> youth management.<br />
- Regional survey of demand in cooperation with departments and the province of Styria:<br />
where is need for mobility offers to be able to use leisure facilities, where is need for new<br />
offers, which and for whom?<br />
- Implementation of concrete <strong>regional</strong> projects (youth centers, streetwork, school social<br />
work, mobility offers)<br />
According to the principle: “staying before commuting before leaving”: creating incentives for<br />
young people that make them stay in the region during and also after their period of education;<br />
or at least to make them prefer the option of commuting to moving away from their region (for<br />
instance by providing cheap housing for young people, young families, support of mobility,<br />
childcare facilities, etc.)<br />
- Discussion with <strong>regional</strong> actors about realization options<br />
- Discussion process about new models with regard to coexistence and mobility (for<br />
instance generation-spanning living, market for rideshare opportunities)<br />
- Realization of concrete <strong>regional</strong> projects as good practise examples<br />
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3.2. Youth information and counselling<br />
All children and young people living in Styria have sufficient access to information and know<br />
how to evaluate and handle information. This gives them the ability, depending on age, to make<br />
decisions self-determinedly and self-responsibly to plan their future according to their interests<br />
and needs.<br />
Principles and Contents<br />
- The possibility of information transfer to persons who are interested will be optimized.<br />
Therefore, intern (mainly personal) knowledge about institutions and offers concerning<br />
children and youth work in Styria will be made available to all assistants<br />
- Young people and children will be questioned about their preferences concerning<br />
accesses to information (internet, flyer,…) and consequently the offers will be perfected<br />
according to this results. In addition, a process will be created which makes it possible to<br />
continually observe changes in the needs.<br />
- A major focus will be put on the creation of access to offers for children and young<br />
people in specific circumstances. There is paid particular attention to specific conditions<br />
in the fields of mobility, language and availability of media/internet.<br />
- A wide-ranged basic offer for the initial contact of children and young people is ensured<br />
and deepening offers for specific annual focus areas are created<br />
Target groups<br />
- Young people, independent of their level of education, social environment, <strong>regional</strong> origin<br />
etc.<br />
Regionality<br />
- Regional youth managers will collect data concerning the needs of children and young people.<br />
These results will be taken into consideration in the creation of <strong>regional</strong> information and<br />
consulting services<br />
Quality and eligibility criteria<br />
- Besides the generally applied eligibility criteria in the context of the law for youth<br />
promotion, action-specific quality criteria will be worked out and transparently<br />
presented.<br />
- Qualitatively examined and uniform information folders on specific topics will be created<br />
together with the providers<br />
- There will be conducted training sessions for actors in the field of action on information<br />
competence and the annual focal areas<br />
Cooperation and networking<br />
- Cooperation with multipliers in the field of parental training, family counselling, schools,<br />
shelters and municipalities will be established<br />
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Regional Strategy:<br />
Cooperation with multipliers in the field of parental training, family counselling, schools,<br />
municipalities, departments, district commissions and organisational, communal and open youth<br />
work will be established: the aim here is also to create information networks<br />
- Establishment of networks and support by <strong>regional</strong> youth management<br />
- Trainings and workshops for multipliers on information competence<br />
- Workshops in schools on current topics (e.g. confident in web 2.0.)<br />
- Creation of uniform information folders on specific topics in cooperation with the<br />
province of Styria<br />
- Counselling and youth-relevant information through the <strong>regional</strong> youth management<br />
(Youth Information Day / Consultation hour in the region) in the office of the <strong>regional</strong><br />
youth management<br />
- Holding information events on specific topics in the region<br />
To strengthen cooperation outside of schools, low-threshold transfer of information (open youth<br />
offers such as youth centres, youth street work, school social work, associations)<br />
- Transfer of information to institutions that work directly with young people. Especially<br />
offers by departments are transferred to multipliers and target groups by the <strong>regional</strong><br />
youth management<br />
- Education offers on information competence for youth workers<br />
- Counselling and youth-relevant information by the <strong>regional</strong> youth management<br />
(Youth Information Day / Consultation hour in the region) in institutions / places where young<br />
people can be found<br />
Presentation of the results from YURA to local decision makers (e.g. Which channels do young<br />
people use, what might be improved in this respect?)<br />
- Presentation of the project in diverse committees and on events for multipliers<br />
- Presentation of the results and compression by the participation in events where young<br />
people can be found (schools, game events, education and job fairs)<br />
Online presentation of offers and information opportunities for young people<br />
- Offers for young people deduced from the municipality QuickCheck will be provided<br />
online and made transparent in appropriate channels for young people, stakeholders and<br />
<strong>regional</strong> actors<br />
- Transfer of the results to regions, municipalities, youth centers<br />
- Cooperation Juba Project – Online map on the topic of educational and vocational<br />
orientation for young people, parents and experts<br />
- Regular transfer of information through relevant media (homepages, facebook, web 2.0)<br />
by the <strong>regional</strong> youth management<br />
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3.3. Youth protection and prevention<br />
Children and young people are able to self-responsibly evaluate and recognize risks and<br />
dangers. They are aware of the consequences of their decisions. Preventive measures in the<br />
field of action strengthen children and young people in dealing with dangers in a selfdetermined<br />
way.<br />
Principles and Contents<br />
- The <strong>styria</strong>n law for the protection of the youth is amended and the <strong>styria</strong>n-wide uniform<br />
enforcement of the law for the protection of the youth is guaranteed. Youth-relevant<br />
“paragraphs” from other instructions and laws (for example the issue of piercings in the<br />
trade regulation act) are provided for information<br />
- The pedagogical principles and personal safety factors in the field of prevention are<br />
precisely prepared for the actors in all fields of action and forwarded to them. In this<br />
way, a common understanding of the subject of prevention will be established<br />
- In order to enable the actors to act rapidly and independently in a respective situation,<br />
departments will prepare checklists on central topics. In so doing, national and<br />
international developments of such checklists will be considered<br />
Target groups<br />
- Young people, independent of their level of education, social environment, <strong>regional</strong> origin<br />
etc.<br />
- Adults, parents and actors in economy, education and society are aware of their<br />
responsibility and their function as idols. They are well informed and can deal with<br />
children and young people’s “urge to take risks”<br />
Regionality<br />
- The regions are supported in uniformly implementing the guidelines from the <strong>styria</strong>n law<br />
for the protection of the youth<br />
Quality and criteria for eligibility<br />
- Besides the generally applied eligibility criteria in the context of the law for youth<br />
promotion, field of action-specific quality requirements will be made visible also in<br />
specific topics (e.g. Social Media)<br />
Cooperation and networking<br />
- In order to enforce the law for the protection of the youth, a network of the most<br />
important authorities (e.g. starting with district commissions) will be established<br />
- The province of Styria connects with central authorities that have interfaces to the law<br />
for the protection of the youth<br />
- To transfer information and to increase the motivation of the actors and multipliers,<br />
several activities are launched<br />
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Regional <strong>strategy</strong>:<br />
To enforce the law for the protection of the youth a network of the most important authorities<br />
will be established (e.g. starting with district commissions, police)<br />
- Cooperation of the <strong>regional</strong> youth management in relevant committees: e.g. child and<br />
youth-safe district Deutschlandsberg (possible expansion to the region)<br />
To transfer information and to increase the motivation of the actors and multipliers, several<br />
activities are launched (e.g. information events of departments, offer of an alcohol-free cocktail<br />
bar: “we can do differently” on events, projects between operation organisations and young<br />
people)<br />
Stricter monitoring of the law for the protection of the youth:<br />
- Fundings are taken into account<br />
- Workshops with young people, sensitization<br />
Low-threshold offers of support for young people:<br />
- Establishment of streetwork in the region<br />
- Establishment of school social work<br />
- Implementation of concrete projects with a preventive character (e.g. weekend night<br />
sports – a project of the sports union, which offers free sport facilities on Friday evenings<br />
and on weekends as an alternative to going out)<br />
- Strengthening of associations in the region and qualifying and sensitizing assistants in<br />
this field<br />
- Establishment and realization of zones of freedom for young people<br />
- Strengthening of young people’s maturity and responsibility, establishing non formal<br />
education opportunities and prevention offers<br />
Workshops for students and teachers, youth associations, institutions, youth centers<br />
focusing on specific topics:<br />
- To create workshop catalogues for individual target groups<br />
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3.4. Youth culture and creative forms of expression<br />
The aim is to strengthen children and young people in their everyday culture and to encourage<br />
them, in the context of non-formal education processes, to express and realize their interests<br />
and needs in their examination of society.<br />
Principles and Contents<br />
- Children and young people are questioned about their preferred forms of creative<br />
expression (music, theatre, …). The results are taken into consideration in the<br />
development of the offers<br />
- Specific focus areas of society, which children and young people are concerned with and<br />
interested in, are referred to in the creation of the offers<br />
- The intermediary and accompanying offers in the field of action of youth culture and<br />
their creative forms of expression are adapted to the needs of children and young<br />
people. A process will be established, which allows to early detect dynamic developments<br />
of relevant topics of children and young people as well as preferred forms of creative<br />
expression and consequently to considerate these results in the development of offers<br />
- Methods will be examined, tested and developed further in order to better circulate<br />
information and offers and thus to reduce entry barriers for so far underrepresented<br />
groups of children and young people. In this process, current and national results and<br />
examples will be used<br />
Target groups<br />
- Young people, independent of their level of education, social environment, <strong>regional</strong> origin<br />
etc.<br />
Regionality<br />
- In order to open up new regions and reach new target groups, a stronger focus is put on<br />
Styrian regions where there is still a lack of offers in the fields of youth culture and<br />
creative forms of expression<br />
Quality and criteria for eligibility<br />
- Besides the generally applied eligibility criteria in the context of the law for youth<br />
promotion, the field of action-specific quality requirements for youth culture and creative<br />
forms of expression are valid<br />
- To enhance the quality and the accuracy of fit of the offers, a simple but effective<br />
reporting system will be established<br />
Cooperation and networking<br />
- Appropriate access to new centers and institutions for children and young people will be<br />
granted<br />
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Regional Strategy<br />
Elicitation of offers:<br />
- Quick Check Focus: Youth. Elicitation and presentation of leisure time and youth offers in<br />
the region<br />
- To create opportunities of mobility to existing offers<br />
- The study and collection of examples, which are subsequently partially realized (e.g.<br />
game spectacle in Leibnitz)<br />
- Stronger focus to open up new regions (where there is still a lack of offers – particularly<br />
district Deutschlandsberg)<br />
- Cooperation with relevant actors<br />
- Cooperation with committees that deal with the topic of youth/culture<br />
- Since associations apparently strongly contribute to the emotional bonds of young<br />
people with the region, it seems to make sense to (further) specifically promote youth<br />
activities of associations<br />
- It is recommended to provide alternative offers (e.g. youth centers, youth areas, offers<br />
of youth culture, participation projects etc.) for those young people (but not only!) who<br />
cannot be reached with offers of associations<br />
- Implementation of youth in action projects in the region and presentation of this<br />
programme<br />
- Provision of free areas and infrastructure for young people (rehearsal rooms, rooms free<br />
of consumption)<br />
- Workshops referring to youth culture in school, youth centers etc…<br />
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3.5. Socio-political education and participation<br />
Young people acquire an extensive judgment as well as the qualification of self-determined<br />
political thinking through the offers in the field of action “socio-political education and<br />
participation”. They voluntarily and actively take part in political processes.<br />
Principles and Contents<br />
- New methods are tested and children and young people are “picked up” on topics<br />
directly relevant to them<br />
- A wide range of tested field of action-specific methods to support the actors are<br />
established and provided<br />
- There follows a consultation with the actors about how to include socio-political topics in<br />
everyday professional life in order to reach target groups even more successfully.<br />
Existing offers and action-field-spanning synergies are used more intensively in this<br />
process<br />
Target groups<br />
- Young people, independent of their level of education, social environment, <strong>regional</strong> origin<br />
etc.<br />
- A focus is put on children and young people who left formal school education at an early<br />
stage<br />
Regionality<br />
- Sustainable participation structures are to be created in regions, smaller regions and<br />
municipalities (e.g. manifestation in the mission statement, seats in committees)<br />
Quality and criteria for eligibility<br />
- Besides the generally applied eligibility criteria in the context of the law for youth<br />
promotion, action-specific quality criteria will be worked out and presented in a<br />
transparent way.<br />
Cooperation and networking<br />
- An event with all interested actors in the field of action will be organized to transfer the<br />
results and examined methods<br />
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Regional Strategy<br />
Creation of participation structures:<br />
- Sustainable participation structures are to be created in regions, smaller regions and<br />
municipalities (e.g. by a written description in the mission statement, seats in<br />
committees, determination of persons responsible for young people)<br />
- Education offers on the topic of youth and youth work in the region are provided for<br />
responsible persons: municipal councils for young people etc.<br />
- Creation of platforms for young people at <strong>regional</strong> level<br />
- Cooperation with <strong>regional</strong> NGO´s<br />
- Cooperation with multipliers especially in the school area (Regional and Municipal<br />
Education Authority)<br />
Sensitization of politicians on this issue including the idea of a participation process in the<br />
province of South-West Styria.<br />
Since it became clear during the questioning that despite a relatively high number of young<br />
people and stakeholders experienced in participation projects the satisfaction level was<br />
generally low with regard to participation opportunities, it is important to pay close attention to<br />
sustainability and to choose the appropriate method for future projects of this kind<br />
- Planning, cooperation and accompaniment by departments<br />
New, exciting opportunities and also low-threshold participation opportunities which are also<br />
addressed, invented and created by young people:<br />
- To initiate participation projects, which do not raise unreasonable expectations in young<br />
people and which are oriented towards the life environments and forms of expression of<br />
young people (forum theatre, film competition, new media)<br />
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3.6. Education and vocational orientation<br />
Children and young people discern their vocation and are able to turn it into a profession. In<br />
this process, they are optimally promoted and supported according to their potentials and<br />
strengths and can find a highly qualitative offer of educational and vocational orientation in<br />
Styria.<br />
Principles and Contents<br />
- The accompanying offers of educational and vocational orientation follow the principles<br />
of lifelong learning. They focus on young people’s interests, abilities and potentials and<br />
aim to contribute to a best possible individual and professional development by<br />
accompanying them.<br />
- The offers in the field of educational and vocational orientation in Styria will be presented<br />
online in a way so that they are clear and understandable for children and young people<br />
- There follows an improved coordination and consultation of existing offers – gaps in<br />
offers will be filled, innovative approaches will be tested and promoted<br />
Target groups<br />
- Fairness in the promotion of talents and qualifications of girls and boys as well as the<br />
choice of professions is very important to us<br />
- In the context of life environment orientation, parents are addressed through<br />
educational parental programmes as important supporters in the career choice of young<br />
people<br />
- Workers of educational parental programmes are sensitized and supported in the<br />
development of the programmes<br />
Regionality<br />
- The representation of educational and vocational orientation offers is prepared<br />
specifically according to the regions<br />
- Regional coordination platforms are established<br />
Quality and criteria for eligibility<br />
- Education for multipliers: workers of open youth work will be qualified to conduct offers<br />
in the context of educational and vocational orientation by themselves or to function as a<br />
contact person for appropriate offers<br />
- Quality criteria are constantly reflected and discussed involving all relevant stakeholders<br />
Cooperation and networking<br />
- Educational and vocational orientation is interface work. Business associations,<br />
educational institutions and political decision makers have different perspectives and<br />
specific offers. They should be agreed on in the interests of children and young people<br />
- Experts of educational (parental) programmes and other fields of action of children and<br />
youth work are integrated in the development of strategies and concrete actions<br />
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Regional Strategy:<br />
Strengthening of associations as multipliers for information and job opportunities<br />
- Building up of networks by the <strong>regional</strong> youth management<br />
- Cooperation of the <strong>regional</strong> youth management in relevant committees<br />
- Public events/cooperation with media to make the work of associations visible<br />
- Support of associations in the form of projects / promotion counselling<br />
- Workshops / education trainings for multipliers<br />
Stronger cooperation with schools:<br />
On the one hand to successfully transfer information and offers to teachers and students, on the<br />
other hand to make cooperations and projects possible<br />
- Projects in schools / economy (<strong>regional</strong> companies). This is precisely important in a<br />
region with a strong focus on the secondary sector<br />
- Projects in non-formal education schools (through more contact to schools, projects with<br />
non-formal educational aspects could also occur more often. Teachers would also be<br />
good multipliers to help young people with access to information and teach them the<br />
ability to evaluate information)<br />
- Projects in politics / <strong>regional</strong> management – schools (information about how decision<br />
processes in the region happen, about current developments and challenges, about<br />
where participation / contact possibilities can be found)<br />
Special offers of support in the field of educational and vocational orientation for girls<br />
and young women:<br />
- networking through the <strong>regional</strong> youth management with departments<br />
(Frauengesundheitszentrum, Mafalda, zam)<br />
- Follow-on project: No women, No Future<br />
- Cooperation of the <strong>regional</strong> management in projects (Juba – Bab) and committees<br />
Moreover, methods and cooperation partners are selected to make offers in the area<br />
of educational and vocational orientation accessible also in extracurricular context for<br />
young people:<br />
- Youth welfare, social work<br />
- Youth centers<br />
- Associations<br />
- Mobile youth work<br />
- Initiatives of youth culture<br />
Besides general efforts to create new jobs in the region, the model “apprenticeship after school<br />
leaving examination” might keep young people who have completed grammar school in the<br />
region.<br />
- To provide low-threshold advanced education trainings in the field of non-formal<br />
education in order to enhance the qualification of young people<br />
- Transfer of information through the RJM on events (job fairs etc.)<br />
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Mobility<br />
Regional Strategy:<br />
Survey of demand (When, for whom and where is need for special offers?):<br />
- Specific mobility offers such as youth taxis, nightline busses, market for rideshare<br />
opportunities?<br />
- To discuss and clarify possibilities of support of mobility with <strong>regional</strong> actors<br />
- To develop alternative mobility projects, collect best practical examples<br />
- To provide information of an offer of public transport for youth-relevant routes (youth<br />
centers, sports infrastructure, schools, pubs etc…)<br />
Open offers for young people with a <strong>regional</strong> focus<br />
Seats in committees, consideration of young people’s interests in developing transportation<br />
concepts<br />
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4. Implementation and evaluation plan<br />
The implementation of the <strong>regional</strong> <strong>strategy</strong> (YURA) and the inclusion of all considerations<br />
concerning the “Youth Topic” in the new „Leitbild“ (<strong>regional</strong> strategic working plan) is one aim<br />
of the Regional management concerning the YURA <strong>strategy</strong>.<br />
That means on the one hand to work with the results of the pilot action as well as to recognize<br />
youth/ youth work as a cross cutting issue and on the other hand to work on the issue of<br />
demographic change, and the migration of young people from rural areas.<br />
A central point in implementing the <strong>strategy</strong> was the establishment of a (<strong>regional</strong>) youth<br />
manager within the Regional management. This person should be kind of the interface between<br />
young people, youth initiatives, <strong>regional</strong> actors and politicians as governmental structures and<br />
connects people working in the field of youth work. This initiative is funded by the province of<br />
Styria.<br />
These results of the project YURA and the common Youth-Strategy of Styria will be a main focus<br />
of the work for the <strong>regional</strong> youth management.<br />
As a great success of the pilot action “Future Laboratory” and part of the whole YURA project<br />
implementation, the Quick Check for municipalities, called “Focus Youth”, was adapted for all<br />
<strong>styria</strong>n municipalities. Aim of this initiative is, to get a systematic overview about infrastructure,<br />
leisure time /youth work offers, possibilities to participation and information, mobility offers for<br />
young people the quick check should be a basis for next steps considering youth work.<br />
Implementation of the <strong>regional</strong> <strong>strategy</strong>:<br />
• Presentation of the YURA results in <strong>regional</strong> political committees<br />
• Presentation of the YURA results in conferences for experts and institutions<br />
• Presentation of the YURA results for teachers, students, youth centres<br />
• Derivation of operational initiatives and actions<br />
• matching the results with other surveys / studies<br />
To ensure regular evaluation and review, there will be a continuous exchange with various<br />
interest groups. There will be coordination between the Regional management with the <strong>regional</strong><br />
youth management, regular intervisions, and coordination between <strong>regional</strong> youth<br />
management, experts and the province of Styria, as discussion in <strong>regional</strong> committees with<br />
political and social partners.<br />
Quantitative evaluation will take place annually. On the one hand in evaluating the statistics of<br />
the labor market, on the other hand in evaluating <strong>regional</strong> offers/ initiatives (advisory, lowoffers,<br />
etc. ...). It can also be thought about evaluating – with a survey based on life<br />
satisfaction indicators – the mood of youngsters in the region to see if concrete measures raise<br />
the satisfaction.<br />
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