Memorandum of Understanding between Austria and the beehive state signed.

Ambassador Petra Schneebauer travelled to Utah from November 16 - 19, 2024 with a delegation to deepen the relations between the state and Austria. The focus was on increasing cooperation in the fields of business and educational opportunities in order to build a better-skilled workforce.

On the occasion, a Memorandum of Understanding between Utah and Austria was signed at the State Capitol in Salt Lake City, formalizing a collaboration to strengthen Utah’s youth apprenticeship model. This will be implemented through several initatives: the Utah System of Higher Education program Talent Ready Apprenticeship Connection (TRAC), the Utah State Board of Education’s Career and Technical Education (CTE), and Technical College Apprenticeship Programs (TCAP).

Specifically, the agreement also includes student exchanges and a ski lift technician apprenticeship program: "There are a couple Austrian companies in Salt Lake — not a lot of people know about that,” explained Vic Hocket, the Associate Commissioner of Talent Ready Utah: “So, through this partnership that we have with Salt Lake Community College, Salt Lake School District and Ski Utah, we have developed a ski lift technician apprenticeship program. That'll be one of many to come," Hockett said. "The students that are building the ski lifts in Utah, they're also building the same things in Austria. So, we'll be able to do an apprenticeship swap with the students in Utah, students in Austria, and really give them that dual exposure to the systems."

“The Utah System of Higher Education and Talent Ready Utah are honored to formalize this significant partnership with the Republic of Austria,” said Hockett. “This collaboration will allow us to exchange invaluable insights, ultimately enhancing and expanding our apprenticeship pathways to benefit students across Utah.” Acording to Hockett, the signing of a memorandum of understanding is "monumental," adding that, "globally, there's not a lot of countries that do (apprenticeships) better than Austria."

The Austrian delegates at the signing included Petra Schneebauer, Ambassador of Austria to the United States, and Georg Konetzky, director general of national market strategies at the Austrian Federal Ministry for Labour and Economy. "Austria and the United States share a deep and dynamic economic relationship," Schneebauer said. "Our trade and investment ties are robust and expanding, creating thousands of jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. Here in Utah, we see Austrian companies thriving and contributing to the local community."

In addition, the Honorary Consul of Austria in Utah, Franz Kolb, was honored for his outstanding contributions to the Republic of Austria, having served as Consul for 22 years. Mr. Kolb was presented with the Decoration in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria by Ambassador Petra Schneebauer on behalf of Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen.