GRAND OPENING: NEW GPS EMPLOYMENT WORKSHOP AT TPV
At the end of March, the new employment workshop of Gemeinnützige Personalservice GmbH (GPS) was officially opened at the tpv Technology Park Villach – a significant step toward equal opportunities in the labor market.
On March 24th, 2025, GPS Carinthia officially opened its new employment workshop at the tpv Technology Park Villach. Covering approximately 240 square meters, the facility includes a modern workshop, a social room, and office spaces. The new center provides space for craft and creative work, guided production, cleaning services, landscaping maintenance, and tailored labor market measures. The aim is to support people with limited access to the labor market through practical activities, training, and personalized guidance – from job coaching and case management to on-the-job training.
INVESTMENT IN EQUALITY AND INTEGRATION
With an investment of around 650,000 euros by the Austrian Public Employment Service (AMS) and a plot of land provided by the City of Villach, this project was launched to support individuals facing barriers to employment. Target groups include the long-term unemployed, people over 50, individuals with health impairments, those at risk of poverty, single parents, and people who have primarily worked in unskilled jobs. The workshop, built to be accessible and energy-efficient, provides a low-threshold, skills-oriented entry into working life and fosters sustainable employment prospects.
Supporting people who are disadvantaged in the labor market and offering them opportunities so they can quickly and sustainably reintegrate into working life – that is one of the social missions of the AMS and a key part of active labor market policy. To achieve this, we need the right projects: regional, low-threshold, stabilizing, and skills-based. And we need investments to build such structures. The investment of 650,000 euros in the GPS employment workshop in Villach is not just an investment in a building, but an investment in the future of the project participants – an investment in people. This project helps increase equality of opportunity and combat long-term unemployment.
– AMS Executive Board Member Petra Draxl
A NEW IMPULSE FOR EDUCATION AND INTEGRATION AT TPV
At the opening ceremony, GPS board member and AMS Carinthia director Peter Wedenig and GPS managing director Alfred Schuh welcomed many distinguished guests, including AMS executive board member Petra Draxl, Villach Mayor Günther Albel, Chamber of Labor President Günther Goach, and Federal Chamber of Labor President Renate Anderl. The new facility complements existing educational and training offers at tpv – such as the GPS training center and the newly opened "Campo" for digitization and skills training – thereby strengthening the regional network for labor market integration and skills development. Thanks to excellent public transport connections, the workshop is easily accessible to all.
GPS CARINTHIA – LONGSTANDING PARTNER FOR THE LABOR MARKET
Founded in 1997 by the social partners – the Carinthian Chamber of Labor, Carinthian Economic Chamber, Carinthian Federation of Austrian Industries, Austrian Trade Union Federation, and AMS Carinthia – GPS Carinthia has been successfully supporting people entering or re-entering the workforce for over 25 years. This is done through non-profit employment projects, personnel leasing, and inter-company and supra-company apprenticeship training.
With the new employment workshop at tpv Technology Park Villach, GPS Carinthia expands its range of services in the region, complementing its existing locations in Spittal, Klagenfurt, Völkermarkt, and the training center for metal and electrical professions in Villach, and sets a strong example for equal opportunity and securing skilled labor.