PLACEHOLDER_7
What you earn along the way, why pay increases, and what it means to be on a collective agreement
As a painter apprentice you are employed in a company and receive wages from the day your training agreement comes into force. It is an important difference from many other apprenticeships: you don't pay to learn the trade — you are paid for it. This also makes it a realistic path for those who don't want or can afford to study on state educational grants for several years.
§Why does salary increase over time?
Your apprentice wages are not the same all the way through. They are typically divided into wage periods and for each period you advance the salary increases. The logic is simple: the longer you are in education the more you can do and the more valuable your labor is to the company. Towards the end of education you do much of the same work as a journeyman — and the salary reflects that.
§What is a collective agreement?
The painting trade is covered by a collective agreement — an agreement negotiated between the employers' organization (Danish Master Painters Association) and the employees' union (Painters' Union in Denmark). The agreement sets, among other things, wage levels, working hours, allowances, pension and your terms as an apprentice. It is renewed at regular intervals, and it is typically there that wage rates are adjusted.
- 01PLACEHOLDER_34
- 02Agreed working hours and overtime rules
- 03Pension savings that the employer contributes to
- 04Supplement for special working conditions
- 05Vacation and holiday pay according to holiday act
§From apprentice pay to qualified worker pay
When you have passed the journeyman exam you switch from apprentice wages to skilled wages. As skilled your hourly wages are typically much higher than as an apprentice because you are now a fully trained craftsperson. Many painters also work on piecework on parts of their work – a form of agreement where the wage is linked to how much you accomplish rather than how many hours you spend.
What if you don't have an apprenticeship position?
If you haven't found a company to make an education agreement with, you can continue in school practice at many schools. Here you get a smaller allowance instead of regular apprentice wages while you continue to look. If you are over 18 and without an education agreement, student aid may also be an option in certain situations — check the rules before counting on it.
“Becoming a skilled tradesperson is an investment that pays off both along the way and afterwards: you earn a wage while you learn, and you end up with a trade that is hard to automate away.”
§Remember to put it on paper
Your apprenticeship agreement is a contract. Read it before you sign and do not be afraid to get help understanding it — for example from your school or your union. It is completely normal to get a few more eyes on an agreement and it gives you peace to concentrate on the trade.