FRECH - Women Seize Opportunities - Counseling with Qualification Opportunities

The FRECH program – Women Seize Opportunities – is aimed at employed residents of Vienna who wish to undertake a fundamental professional reorientation. It combines intensive process counseling with job-related workshops and lectures, as well as a qualification subsidy for selected training and further education measures. Participants benefit from free, personal counseling sessions in which individual goals, career prospects, and necessary qualifications are jointly analyzed. Additionally, the program provides valuable insights into digital and climate protection-related competencies as well as leadership topics and management tasks. Selected workshops offer a practical perspective on labor market trends and support the creation of a tailored education plan. A key feature is the funding through a subsidy covering up to 90% of course costs, but no more than EUR 5,000 per participant, which can also be co-financed retroactively by the European Social Fund (ESF+).

Funding is provided to employees with their main residence in Vienna, a monthly net income of no more than EUR 2,500 (exception: compulsory schooling), and the goal of changing professions or completing a qualification. Applicants must submit a registration certificate, proof of income, and a cost estimate for the planned qualification measures. Upon completion, the original invoice and a certificate of participation must be submitted no later than twelve weeks after the end of the measure. Eligible expenses include exclusively course fees, workshop, and lecture flat rates; leisure, coaching, supervision, or wellness offerings, as well as university studies, are not considered. Applications can be submitted at any time, allowing for a flexible and needs-oriented entry into the career change process.