Student wages and employment conditions as a surface treatment technician.
How the four main routes differ — and where they lead
As a surface treatment worker apprentice you receive wages from the day you have signed a training agreement with a company. It is one of the great advantages of vocational apprenticeships: you don't need to live on state educational grants but earn your own wages while becoming more skilled.
§Why does salary increase over time?
The apprentice wages are stepped up so they increase as you move through the education. The idea is simple: the further you get the more you can contribute at the workplace and that is reflected in the wages. The specific rates are set in the collective agreement that applies to the area.
§What is a collective agreement?
A collective agreement is an agreement between employers and the employees' organizations. It sets among other things wage working hours allowances and other conditions. For surface treaters the trade falls under the industry field and it's the collective agreement here that determines your minimum wage as an apprentice. So it's not just something each company makes up by itself.
§If you are in school practice
If you lack a company agreement for a period you can in some cases do school training at a practice center. Here you receive a school allowance instead of ordinary apprentice wages. The allowance is lower than the collective agreement wage but ensures you can continue in education while seeking a position.
§Terms as fully trained
When you have passed the journeyman exam you are skilled. This typically means better wages than unskilled and access to tasks with greater responsibility. As skilled in the industry you often work under a collective agreement that ensures you rules on wages pension working hours and holidays.
A good tip: familiarise yourself with which collective agreement covers your workplace and what it means for you. A trade union in the field can help you understand your rights — both as an apprentice and as a journeyman.
“You learn a trade and earn your own wages at the same time. That's the whole idea behind a vocational education.”