Skilled labour has a future in Hungary, and those with knowledge, skills and “the courage to use them” will have nothing to fear in harder times, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in his opening address at the 15th skilled labour festival in Budapest on Monday.

At the opening of the Szakma Sztar festival at Budapest’s Hungexpo fairgrounds, Mr Orban said Hungary’s “national forces garnered unprecedented support” at the 3 April election. “Voters also said yes” to the government’s achievements in vocational training, accomplished in cooperation with the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he said.

In recent times, the government has expanded dual trainings involving apprenticeships at large market players, upgraded vocational training, established training centres and a grant system for vocational trainees, Mr Orban said. The government has also taken steps to boost digitalisation, and has made studying for the first two vocations – or certificates – free of charge, he added.

As a result, Hungary currently has 250,000 students in vocational training, demand for skilled workers is growing, and entrepreneurship is becoming more lucrative and popular, he said..

He recalled that this is the eighth time he attends this event, and he has always encouraged its participants to believe that „work, and especially skilled labour, has a future in Hungary”.

Two good pieces of advice sum up why it’s worth learning a profession: what is worth doing is worth doing well, and if you’re good at something, set your price high. Life has proven that quality work is the surest source of livelihood and will become even more so in the future,

Viktor Orban stated.

He pointed out that although it may seem unfair that we have „barely recovered” from the coronavirus epidemic and have already „been hit” by a war next door, rather than „condemning the circumstances”, we should reassure ourselves that „those with the knowledge, the skills and the courage to use them have nothing to fear in difficult times.”

„If we do our job well, we can come out of this problem stronger and take a giant step forward, not backwards,” Mr Orban said, encouraging young people to choose a trade for themselves. He stressed that Hungary was a place worth living and working in, because it is one of the best places in Europe.

The premier told young people that new factories, new sites, new production centres had been built recently and they were all „counting on your work.” We provide tax relief for young people starting their careers and for companies “that employ you”, we support the starting of families and creating homes, as well as the building and renovation of properties, Mr Orban said.

Those who want to make a work-based living in Hungary today will have jobs and homes, and they will be able to raise their children in a safe environment in the most beautiful country in the world, he added.

The PM told teachers that the many important and impressive results „could not have been achieved without your work.” The achievements of Hungarian skilled workers at home and abroad are proof that Hungary’s vocational education system is full of excellent teachers and educators, he said. „We thank them for their sacrifice,” he added.

The 15th Skilled Labour Festival – itself the venue of the national finals of both the Outstanding Student of the Profession and the National Vocational Studies contests – is organised jointly by the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the National Chamber of Agriculture, between 25-27 April.