The Stahlstiftung (Steel Foundation) was founded in Linz, Austria, in 1987. Its aim was to provide employees of the VOEST-ALPINE Group (as it was called at the time) who had to leave the company due to a crisis, as well as employees of companies outside of the Group, with opportunities for reorienting themselves professionally.
Up to four years of training and continuing professional development are funded for this purpose. In the business year 2022/23, about 86% of the participants looking for work were able to develop a new professional perspective with the help of the Stahlstiftung. This raised the success rate by 6%, largely bringing it back to the level prevailing in the business year 2019/20, i.e., before the COVID-19 crisis affected the labor market.
As of the March 31, 2023, reporting date, Stahlstiftung assisted 247 individuals, 74.5% of whom were former employees of the voestalpine Group. The total number of active Stahlstiftung participants in the business year 2022/23 was 462, which equates to a decrease of 21.8% compared with the previous business year (694 individuals).
The activities of 12 individuals related to an educational leave were also supported during the reporting period over and above the participants covered by the Stahlstiftung in its capacity as a classic employee fund. Additionally, individual consultations were provided in the business year 2022/23 to a total of 115 employees of the member companies of the Stahlstiftung to ensure their employability.