False start and a reward

Start coaching – getting a head start in Vienna

Start coaching is a service offered by Municipal Department 17 - Integration and Diversity (MA 17) for all new inhabitants of Vienna who receive their ‘confirmation of registration (Anmeldebescheinigung)’ as EU citizens or receive their ‘residence card (Aufenthaltskarte)’ as third-country nationals and family members of EU citizens after 1 January 2011. Employees of MA 17 who speak your native language or another language you feel comfortable with assist you in finding your way around Vienna. At the start coaching-appointment you will receive your Vienna education booklet. This is a booklet where all the language courses, information events, counselling services, and education and further training programmes that you attend are recorded. The education booklet contains vouchers from the City of Vienna for German Integration Courses. It also allows you to attend information events on various useful topics.

This morning, I had my appointment with at Start Vienna - a service for new residents of Vienna to help them navigate the city, learn about resources, and provides vouchers for German classes. I was very excited to go, because I've been anxious to get started on my German, and who doesn't want €100 or more in vouchers?

When I made my appointment, I carefully wrote down the address and researched how I would get there. I used the U-Bahn website and got this: How to get to Start Wien  Okay, so I would take the U-4 from Schwedenplatz, a U-Bahn stop near our house, to Spittlau.  Then I would switch lines to the U-6 to Dresdner Strasse. I could walk from there to the appointment. Great!

M offered to go with me, both out of his own curiosity and kindness, which I happily accepted.  Off we went, bright and early at 7:15 this morning.  We took the metro, and fairly easily found our way.  We got there early (about 30 minutes early), so we hung around on the sidewalk for a while and then went in. We found the office and it was locked. We sat in the reception area which reminded me of a Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles waiting room, but empty.  Hard plastic chairs, the smell of dirty carpet, greasy stains on the walls where legions of people have rested their heads while waiting.

A woman came to the door, unlocked it, and looked at us. "Are you here for an appointment?" "Yes." She went in. We sat. About 10 minutes later (10 minutes after our appointment was supposed to start) we decided we would just open the door, since it was clear she wasn't going to come back out and get us.

She was very nice and asked how she could help us. I explained that I wanted what I'd seen on the website:

At the start coaching you will

· receive the Vienna education booklet and the Vienna language vouchers

· discuss what your next steps should be

· get help with finding a suitable German Course

· learn how the voucher system works and what the information modules are

· get recommendations for counselling centres (finding a job, getting your qualifications recognised, etc.)

· discuss basic questions (registering your child for school, compulsory schooling, etc.)

· receive information on a variety of other relevant topics

She began by asking us for our residency documents.  I showed her my legitimation card.  She was confused. She had no idea what it was. She clearly had never seen one before. I explained it's a card that a person (like me) would get if her husband (like M) worked for an organization that has an international presence - like the United Nations, for example. "Oh..."  She said she would have to go ask a colleague. She excused herself and explained that she would have to lock us in the office when she left. 

When she returned, she said she now understood my status. M and I do not qualify for Start Vienna, because we are not subject to the Integration Agreement, which requires new residents to learn German within a certain period of time.  Since we have a status here that doesn't require this, we don't get the services. No vouchers. No booklets. No head start.  She did print a few things and put them in a binder. She also gave us a map. And a bag.  We did learn, because she called the Ministry that issued my card, that I am entitled to work in Austria, but that M's organization would have to get a letter from the Ministry for me to prove it to a prospective employer. Given my lack of German skills, I suspect this won't be a big problem for us anytime soon.

As a reward for going to the stupid Start Vienna thing, I went to the Naschtmarkt.  M & I have been a few times before, and I had been thinking about the enormous artichokes and other terrific produce (sorely lacking at Spar, our local supermarket.  So... I took the U-Bahn (this time, by myself) to the market.

I got:

Now to think about making dinner.