The Austrian school-based VET sector offers a wide range of specialist provision. The focus is on initial vocational education and training (IVET), with continuing vocational education and training (CVET) programmes for people in employment also on offer.

Students interested in the full range of engineering fields and the core areas of the arts have the choice of 75 schools and colleges for engineering, arts and crafts (HTL for short). Some 3/4 of them are federal schools, 1/4 is financed by the private sector.