About Us

Information about the Social and Continuing Education Fund (SWF)

The Social and Continuing Education Fund (SWF) has been in existence in Austria since 2013.
The SWF supports:

• Temporary workers
• Companies that supply workers (temporary employment agencies)

The SWF receives its money from SWF contributions. These contributions are stipulated in the Temporary Employment Act (AÜG).
Only if these contributions are paid can benefits be received from the SWF.

The fund is managed by a board of directors and a supervisory committee.
The Federal Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Health, Care, and Consumer Protection oversees the fund.

What the SWF offers

The SWF provides various benefits:

• Training and further education
• Advice
• Support during unemployment
• Temporary financial assistance in difficult times

Goals of the SWF

The SWF aims to:

• Provide people with additional qualifications so that they have better job opportunities
• Keep employment stable, i.e., enable long-term jobs
• Prevent unemployment
• Support people who become unemployed and have financial worries

Thomas Grammelhofer (PRO-GE) Chairman of the Board: 

"The social and training fund means a great deal to me personally. 

As Chairman of the Board, I see every day how important support and further training are for people in different life situations. 

It is a personal concern of mine that the fund opens up concrete opportunities, provides security, and creates prospects. For me, the SWF stands for solidarity in action and the responsibility to actively shape the future of employees."

My motivation and drive to get involved with the SWF come from my conviction that work must be more than just a means of securing a livelihood. I want to help ensure that people have real opportunities for development, can continue their education, and are not left alone in difficult times. Seeing that our work has a concrete impact and positively influences people's lives is the strongest motivation for me to fulfill this responsibility with commitment and heart.

My goal is for people in the temporary employment industry to have permanent and stable employment in the long term. In the future, they should not become unemployed between assignments, but should be able to use this time wisely for training and further education. Alternatively, employers should have the option of claiming bridging allowances to ensure job security. In this way, we create stability, development opportunities, and sustainable prospects for employees in the industry."

Andreas Falkensteiner (WKO/FV gew. DL) Deputy Chairman:

"For me, the SWF is much more than a network—it is a platform where responsibility, expertise, and entrepreneurial thinking come together. In a time of great economic and social change, we at the SWF are creating a framework in which exchange on an equal footing is possible and new solutions can emerge from different perspectives.

The Social and Training Fund strengthens temporary workers, supports companies in challenging phases, and creates real qualification opportunities. In this way, we secure employment and increase the competitiveness of the entire industry. This mission makes the SWF a central driver of stability, development, and fairness in the labor market.

Our strength lies in the diversity of the temporary employment industry and in our commitment to actively contributing to the positive development of our business location. We pool knowledge, promote dialogue, and facilitate cooperation that has an impact far beyond day-to-day business.

I am delighted to be actively shaping this development on the board – with openness, creative drive, and the conviction that strong communities make all the difference."

The organs of the SWF

The Social and Training Fund (SWF) has two important groups:

• the Executive Board

• the Control Committee

The Board

The Executive Board decides on important tasks for the fund.
It plans the budget and reviews the finances.
Director Karin Assem-Honsik and her team implement the decisions.

The Executive Board has six members:

• 3 from the employee side (trade unions)

• 3 from the employer side (Austrian Federal Economic Chamber)

The Supervisory Committee

The Supervisory Committee reviews the work of the Executive Board.
It ensures that the money is used correctly and that all rules are followed.
Once a year, it writes an audit report.

The Supervisory Committee has 4 members:

• 2 from the employee side (trade unions)

• 2 from the employer side (Austrian Federal Economic Chamber)

Common rules

• All members work on a voluntary basis.

• The term of office is four years.

• There is a substitute member for each member.