Your rights and work environment as an EUX student on practical placement

When you are an apprentice on EUX you are not just a student – you are also at a workplace with the rights and responsibilities that entails. Knowing your rights is not being difficult; it is part of being a professional colleague who knows what applies and where to get help if something does not work.

§The education agreement protects you.

The education agreement is a formal contract between you and the business, and it is not just a formality. It establishes the framework for your training and obligates the business to train you in the practical sides of the trade. The agreement normally cannot be terminated freely by either party once any probation period has expired—this gives you a security that an ordinary loose employment does not have.

Worth knowing about the agreement

• 01The agreement states when the apprenticeship begins and ends
• 02There is typically a trial period at the beginning where the agreement can be terminated by both parties
• 03After the trial period, the agreement is generally binding for the entire period
• 04The agreement describes the parties' rights and obligations — keep your copy

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As an apprentice with a training agreement you normally receive apprentice wages from the company in the practical periods and your wages and working conditions often follow a collective agreement in the field. The specific rates and conditions are set by collective agreements and change over time — get them confirmed from your professional organisation or school and do not count on figures from a friend or the internet without checking.

§Work environment and young people under 18

Occupational health and safety legislation also applies to apprentices. The company has a duty to instruct you so you can work safely and to ensure a responsible work environment. For young people under 18 there are also special stricter rules that among other things limit certain types of dangerous work heavy work and working hours. You have the right to receive the instruction you need before being assigned a task.

• 01You must be instructed before you perform a new or dangerous task.
• 02You may refuse work you are not trained for or cannot perform safely.
• 03For young people under 18 special limits apply for dangerous and heavy work
• 04Required personal protective equipment must be provided to you

§If the agreement is terminated or conflict arises

Sometimes an apprenticeship ends badly – the company closes, a conflict arises or the agreement is terminated. This is not necessarily the end of your education. The vocational school has counsellors who can help you forward, including finding a new agreement, and in some cases school training or another arrangement can bridge until a new position is found. Rules for how an agreement can be terminated and what deadlines apply protect both parties.

§Where you get help

“Knowing your rights does not make you a bad student — it makes you a colleague who knows where the boundaries go and where the help is.”