Funding for advanced and continuing education for staff

Since October 15, 2013, the State of Styria has been providing indefinite financial grants for the planning and implementation of training and further education events for personnel in early childhood education and care facilities. Eligible for funding are companies, non-profit organizations, interest groups, other associations, as well as public institutions. Within the framework of this program, contributions are granted to cover events in the field of education and further training to continuously improve the quality of care and education for children. The funding is provided as a non-repayable grant, provided that the training and further education events have been approved in advance by the state government and recognized as the organizer. The program is continuously accessible and is based on the Styrian Childcare Funding Act 2019 (§ 23).

The funding objective focuses on the sustainable strengthening of professionals through targeted educational offerings. Applicants must submit the application along with detailed information on the content and scope of the event and, after approval, provide proof of actual implementation, a list of speakers, the list of graduates, as well as original invoices with corresponding payment receipts. A prerequisite is also the prior approval of the training and further education event by the state government. Submission of the application is mandatory before the start of the event. To ensure the appropriate use of funds, random checks are carried out by authorities of the state government.