Political will and big spending put Austrians to work

A trainee measures with special equipment during a daily trainee program at the Voest Alpine factory in the Austrian city of Linz, June 20, 2013. The political commitment to fight unemployment, a solid export-based economy and a long tradition of cooperation between labour and employers helps Austria keep its jobless rate low. Picture taken June 20, 2013. REUTERS/Dominic Ebenbichler

VIENNA (Reuters) - Sebastian Liedl is 17, and in half a year will be a fully qualified employee at the Austrian steel group Voestalpine, where he can look forward to a starting monthly wage of about 2,000 euros ($2,600).

Unlike his contemporaries in Greece, Spain or Portugal, Liedl has never feared unemployment. He always knew he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather at Voest, where he is part of an extensive apprenticeship programme.