Student wages and conditions during the course.
What you earn as a graphic technician apprentice
One of the big advantages of a vocational education is that you get paid while you learn. As a graphic technician apprentice, you are employed by a company during the main phase and receive apprentice pay — you are not paying for your training, you are earning money while you do it.
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The apprentice wages are as a main rule lowest at the beginning and increase step-wise the further you get in the education. The principle is that you become more valuable to the company as you can more and can perform tasks more independently. The specific rates are set in the collective agreement for the area and adjusted regularly.
§What is a collective agreement?
A collective agreement is an agreement between employers and employees about salary and working conditions in a trade. It sets among other things minimum wage working hours allowances and what applies when sick and on vacation. When your workplace is covered by a collective agreement you know what framework applies — you don't stand alone negotiating everything yourself.
§Terms during education
- 01You are employed and receive pay during training in the company.
- 02You also get paid during school stays in the main course.
- 03You earn vacation pay like other employees.
- 04You are covered by the rules for working environment and safety at the workplace.
§When you are fully trained.
With the journeyman's certificate in hand you are skilled and it typically gives a higher salary than what you got as an apprentice. As a skilled worker you have a recognised proof of your competencies and you stand stronger both in wage negotiations and in job seeking. Many choose to be a member of a trade union and an unemployment fund which can advise on wages terms and rights.
“You don't pay to become a skilled graphic technician — you get paid while you learn it.”