Wages and employment terms as slaughter apprentice and tradesman

One of the big advantages of a vocational education is that you earn money while you learn. When you are apprenticed as a gourmet butcher, you receive pay from the company you are employed by. Here we explain how pay and conditions typically work — without promising you specific amounts, because rates depend on the collective agreement and are negotiated continuously.

As an apprentice you receive an agreed trainee wage during the periods when you work at your apprenticeship. A basic principle is that wages increase as you progress through your apprenticeship and become more independent in the trade. You start lower as a new apprentice and move up to a higher level as you approach the journeyman's exam.

• 01The apprentice wages are typically divided into steps that increase through the education.
• 02You receive pay in both the practical periods and often during parts of school stays.
• 03The specific rates are set in the collective agreement between union and employers.
• 04If you don't have an apprenticeship place, there may be other arrangements that cover part of the period.

A collective agreement is an agreement between the employers and the employees' organizations that sets wage working hours allowances pension and a number of other conditions. For you it means there are clear rules and your wage and circumstances don't depend on chance. When you sign a training agreement it's important to know which collective agreement it falls under.

When you have passed the journeyman exam you are a skilled butcher. As skilled you go from apprentice wages to regular skilled wages which are typically substantially higher. You also get the terms that come with being fully trained – for example pension entitlement to holiday and any allowances for evening or weekend work in your industry.

Read your apprenticeship agreement carefully, and ask if anything is unclear. Pay particular attention to which collective agreement applies, how your wage increases through the course, and what happens if you change apprenticeship place. A trade union or your school's guidance counselors can help you understand your rights.

“You invest in a craft — and you get paid while you do it.”