“State Technical School for Tiles, Ceramics, and Stove Construction Hosts Open Day and Unveils New Orientation under CERAMICO Burgenland GmbH Management”

On June 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the state technical school for tiles, ceramics and stove construction invites you to an open day. The 4-year technical school teaches the techniques and manual skills in the areas of plate and tile laying, ceramics and stove construction. A degree replaces an apprenticeship in all three professions. “The state technical school for tiles, ceramics and stove construction is an enormous enrichment for the educational landscape in Burgenland. The strengthening of school, training and further education for professional profiles in the fields of ceramics, stove construction and tile technology not only increases the variety and quality of training opportunities in Burgenland, but also increases the chances on the labor market in the region. The young skilled workers are very well prepared for their profession, the competence center for ceramics is very practical,” said Daniela Winkler in a joint press conference with State Councilor Heinrich Dorner and the director and CERAMICO Managing Director Anita Wolf. They use their visit to CERAMICO to get an idea of ​​the construction progress on the new school dormitory.

New orientation: CERAMICO Burgenland GmbH

The CERAMICO competence center for tiles, ceramics and stove construction has been realigned under the management of CERAMICO Burgenland GmbH, which was founded in December 2021. The aim is to bundle the technical know-how of the construction trades – in particular the stove, tiler and ceramic trades. In addition to preserving the traditional cultural heritage, the new concept primarily includes the training of skilled workers. Part of the CERAMICO competence center is the CERAMICO campus, consisting of the state technical school and an adult education facility. In addition to the school area, the competence center has a technical area for research as well as expert services and material testing (CERAMICO Technical), a production division where ceramics are produced and sold as part of an apprenticeship and practical operation (CERAMICO Production), and a service area that deals with renting and personnel sharing for trade associations from the building trades (CERAMiCO Verbandsservice).

Construction of the new boarding school and further investments

“This reorientation has brought new impetus and a new dynamic. The construction of the new boarding school is on schedule and further investments are planned. In the end there will be a boarding school wing, a school wing and a workshop wing,” says Dorner, State Councilor for Infrastructure. This is also a signal of how important the location with this Austria-wide unique educational offer is to the state. Around ten million euros will be invested in the new student residence. The groundbreaking for construction phase II, the school and workshop wing, is scheduled for the first quarter of 2024. Around 90 students are currently attending the Landesfachschule.

Practice is capitalized

The practical training is very well received by the companies, according to Anita Wolf: “Our students are firmly involved in the daily work. We have a flood of inquiries to interns. The college is also very well booked throughout the year. That certainly has something to do with the fact that the college can be completed part-time.”

Diverse training, further education and further training opportunities possible

Technical school: The four-year technical school for ceramics and stove construction teaches the techniques and manual skills in the areas of ceramics, plate and tile laying and stove construction. Depending on the focus chosen, a degree replaces an apprenticeship in the profession of “ceramist”, “stove fitter” or “plate and tiler”.

College: For people who are new to the profession and have already passed the vocational school leaving examination (Matura), there is the possibility of taking the diploma examination in furnace construction technology within two years. In the first two semesters, the focus is on acquiring the technical and practical skills of the trade. What is new is that the course can be completed part-time, including the additional ceramics module.

Advanced course for furnace construction technology: Graduates of the school or a comparable training (related technical school or apprenticeship) have the opportunity to obtain the maturity and diploma examination via the advanced course (two years).
In the field of adult education, the campus is characterized by a constantly evolving range of courses, which offers trained professionals the opportunity to gain additional qualifications, continue their education or take part in a preparatory course for the master craftsman’s examination. There are also workshops and summer courses for interested career changers and excursions for school classes.