Student wages and employment conditions as a production student.

One of the big advantages of a vocational education is that you get paid while you learn. As a production worker apprentice, you are employed by a company under a training agreement, and from the day the agreement comes into effect, you receive apprentice pay — you are not paying for your training, you are earning while you do it.

§Lønnen kommer fra en overenskomst

Your apprentice wages are not set randomly. They follow the collective agreement that applies to the industry and company — that is the agreement employers and unions have negotiated. The agreement describes minimum rates for apprentices and a number of other terms and it is what ensures you get a fair wage and reasonable conditions.

§Why the salary increases over time

The apprentice wages are typically lowest at the beginning and increase step-wise the further you get in the education. The logic is simple: the more you can the more you contribute to the company and that is reflected in the wages. The rates are stepped up based on how far you are in the program.

• 01You get paid from the day the training agreement starts — also during school stays.
• 02Lønnen stiger som regel for hvert år, du er nået i uddannelsen.
• 03If you are an adult, you may be covered by special adult terms with a higher minimum wage.
• 04The agreement can also describe other matters such as working hours pensions and allowances.

§If you are in school practice

If you don't get a training agreement with a company right away, you can in some cases continue in school practice at school. Here you get a school allowance instead of ordinary trainee wages. The allowance is lower than the wages you get from a company, but it means you can move forward in your education while looking for an apprenticeship.

§As fully trained

When you have the journeyman's certificate you're skilled and your terms shift from apprentice terms to skilled terms. It normally means higher wages than unskilled work and better negotiation position because you have recognized proof of your competencies. Even as a trained worker it's the collective agreement at your workplace that sets the framework for wages and terms.

Simply put: you earn from the start, pay grows with your abilities and the collective agreement is the document you should know if you want to know exactly what you are entitled to.