Scholars of the Sto Foundation finding out about construction work in Vienna

Essen. Energy efficiency measures make great demands on painters and plasterers - not only in Germany. As a cross-board perspective is essential for prospective management staff in skilled trades and industry, six prospective varnishing technicians are learning about this topic in a seminar of the non-profit Sto Foundation over several days in Austria's capital Vienna.

All six painters and varnishers have a vocational qualification, have to therefore regularly deal with energy efficiency measures in practice, and are studying on a two-year technical course at vocational colleges in Berlin, Fulda, Hildesheim, Lahr, Munich, and Stuttgart. This full-time, further training course is associated with a high level of personal commitment and huge financial expense. That is why the Sto Foundation has been generously supporting it with a grant over four semesters.

These particularly motivated and high-performing scholars were nominated by their vocational colleges. Upon successful completion, the technicians can even progress to university studies.

Konrad Richter, member of the Foundation Council Skilled Trades, views the programme as a valuable building block in the support activities, “Vienna is a great starting point to view construction work from a different perspective – in particular, the 700,000 apartments from the Gründerzeit, which are mostly listed under the protection of historical buildings and monuments, pose challenges that we in Ger-many do not experience to this extent.”