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Student wages that increase through the program, collective agreement and what it means to be skilled.
One of the big advantages of a vocational education is that you get paid while you are in training. You are not therefore a student without income, but an apprentice with a training contract and a workplace. Here we look at how your pay is structured, and what it means to become a tradesperson in retail.
§Student wages during training.
When you are in training in a company you get apprentice wages. The principle is that wages rise in steps through the course – you earn least at first and more the further you progress because you gradually contribute more to the workplace. The specific rates are set in the collective agreement in the field and adjusted regularly so you should always check the current amounts in the applicable collective agreement or with your school.
§What is a collective agreement
A collective agreement is an agreement between employers and the employees' trade union about salary and working conditions in an area. It sets among other things minimum wage working hours allowances pension and vacation. Within the trade and office sector there are collective agreements covering exactly this field.
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- 02Working time and rules for overtime
- 03Pension contribution and holiday pay
- 04Supplements, notice periods and other terms
§Terms that can vary from industry to industry
The trade profession is broad — from sales and procurement to logistics and digital B2B trade. Therefore, conditions can vary depending on the type of company you end up in. Some places have fixed daytime work, other places may have warehouse work or customer contact at odd times. It's a good idea to keep this in mind when choosing a training place.
§Being a skilled worker means something
When you finish the training you are skilled in your specialty. It is proof that you have documented competencies and it typically gives better wages and working conditions than unskilled work in the same role. Many collective agreements distinguish directly between skilled and unskilled so the journeyman certificate can pay for itself on the payslip.
§How the module structure allows specialisation
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