Professional Training & Equality: One Year of FACC Academy

One year after the launch of the new FACC Academy, FACC is celebrating its success: The new center has established itself within the company as a platform for discourse and professional training.

By 2030, FACC AG will grow by 1,500 additional employees at all its locations, based on the current market situation. In order to prepare new employees as well as possible for their work in the manufacture of complex aviation components and to provide ongoing training support for existing staff, the FACC Academy was significantly expanded in September 2024 with the opening of the new training center. After one year of operation, the new Academy at the Upper Austria location has established itself as a central training and discussion platform that actively counteracts the shortage of skilled workers. Over 2,700 participants took part in a total of 257 courses and production training sessions. The new Academy has also proven itself as an event platform for internal and external FACC topics: both the FACC Shareholders' Day and the Annual General Meeting took place in the new premises.

Equality as a measure against the shortage of skilled workers

Given the shortage of skilled workers, FACC's planned growth is a challenge that is being addressed at various levels. This includes increasing the proportion of women in the company, combined with a commitment to creating a climate of equal opportunities. This was also emphasized by Deputy Governor of Upper Austria Christine Haberlander at the press conference marking one year of the FACC Academy: “Upper Austria is demonstrating that equality and economic strength go hand in hand, making it a pioneer in this field. By specifically encouraging girls and women to take an interest in technology and supporting companies such as FACC with strong initiatives, we are creating opportunities for each individual — and at the same time securing the future of our industrial location.”

Upper Austria is setting clear priorities with a variety of initiatives to make it easier for girls and women to access technical professions and open up prospects for them in future-oriented industries. Under the umbrella of the Women.Life 2030 strategy, educational and career paths in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) are being specifically promoted—from early childhood enthusiasm for technology in kindergarten to study and career choices. Programs such as Girls' Day, HTL Mentoring, Power Girls, and FIT – Fem in Tech reach thousands of girls and women every year, boosting their self-confidence and raising awareness of technical career paths. This not only makes a significant contribution to gender equality, but also actively addresses the shortage of skilled workers in key economic sectors.

"The collaboration with committed companies such as FACC demonstrates how important it is to combine state initiatives with operational practice. While FACC establishes internal structures to promote women with projects such as the FACC Academy or the FACC Wings for Women network, Upper Austria provides a sustainable framework with its interdepartmental measures. The aim is to get more girls and women interested in technical professions, significantly increase their share in training and management positions, and thus strengthen innovation, competitiveness, and equal opportunities in equal measure," says Christine Haberlander, Deputy Governor and Regional Minister for Women's Issues, explaining that Upper Austria has a clear lead within Austria.

Currently, around 30% of FACC employees are female. “We already have a relatively high proportion of women compared to other industrial companies. In order to fully realize the potential of the labor market, increasing the proportion of women at FACC AG remains one of our priorities,” explains Martina Hamedinger, VP Human Resources. This also applies to the proportion of female managers, which is to be significantly increased in the future. Founded in September 2023, the FACC Wings for Women network aims to increase the number of women in technical professions and management positions and to further promote their career opportunities within the company through public and internal events. The platform for internal networking, founded two years ago, was awarded the Upper Austrian State Prize StrongWomen.StrongCountry this July.

FACC Future Team as a pioneer

The FACC Future Team is particularly noteworthy in this context. The new generation has a keen interest in technical professions in aviation, with female apprentices accounting for between 40% and 50% of the total. FACC scores highly with young talent, particularly with attractive career opportunities in a rapidly growing industry.

About the FACC Academy

The FACC Academy was built at the Reichersberg site in Upper Austria after around 18 months of construction and went into operation in September 2024. The new building has a total of five state-of-the-art training rooms. In the technically well-equipped FACC Sky Lab, employees can also be introduced to new production processes and try out new procedures. A key element of the training center is the spacious atrium, which is ideal for events with its expansive areas and stepped public area. The Safety Center, a new area adjacent to the Academy that will focus specifically on flight safety, is nearing completion. FACC is one of the first Tier 1 companies in aviation to set new standards in this area.