PLACEHOLDER_56
How the early signs show up — and how you spot them
One of the good things about vocational education is that you earn money while you learn. When you have a training agreement with a company, you get apprentice wages throughout the agreement period - also when you're on school leave. So you don't pay to go to school; it's the other way around.
§Why does salary increase over time?
The student wages are not the same all the way through. It is stepped up so it increases as you move further into the program and through the steps. The logic is simple: the more you can the greater value you create for the laboratory and that is reflected in your wages. At the beginning you work under close supervision; towards the end you solve more tasks independently.
§The agreement sets the framework
Your salary and conditions are determined by a collective agreement — an agreement between employer and employee representatives in the field. It is the agreement that covers your field that determines what you should earn as an apprentice and how it increases. The agreement regulates more than salary: working hours allowances pension vacation and other conditions are also described there.
As a young apprentice you do not need to memorise every paragraph. But it is good to know that there is a rule set and an organisation behind you and that you can get help if something is wrong. In the residential furniture area 3F is among the unions where you can find professional support.
§If you don't have an apprenticeship position yet
If you don't get a training agreement with a company right away, you can in some cases continue in an apprenticeship center (school practice) at your school. Here you get a school allowance instead of trainee wages while continuing your training until you find a company. The allowance is lower than trainee wages but keeps you moving with your education.
§Adult student - different rules
If you are 25, you may be entitled to adult apprentice pay. The starting point is often that you must as a minimum have a wage corresponding to the minimum wage for unskilled workers in the field, and this is agreed between you and the company within the collective agreement. Some companies can also receive a subsidy for hiring adult apprentices.
§When you are skilled.
When the final journeyman exam is passed you go from apprentice status to being skilled. Then adult skilled terms apply: a higher wage than as an apprentice fixed by the relevant collective agreement or your individual agreement and the same rights regarding termination vacation and pension as other skilled workers in the industry.
“You invest time - not money. The pay comes along as your competencies grow.”