One of the big advantages of a vocational education is that you get paid while you are in apprenticeship. 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.
§Student wages during practice.
When you are in an apprenticeship in a training company you get apprentice wages. The principle is that wages rise in steps through the course – you earn less 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 for irregular hours pension and vacation. Within the hotel and restaurant industry there are collective agreements covering exactly this field.
- 01PLACEHOLDER_28
- 02Working time and rules for overtime
- 03Supplement for evening, night and weekend work
- 04Pension contribution and holiday pay
§Terms in a profession with changing work hours
Reception is often staffed outside normal office hours – in the evenings, at weekends and in some places at night. Therefore, many employment contracts include shift schedules and allowances for unsociable hours. It's part of the industry's everyday life, and something you should consider when choosing a workplace.
§Being a skilled worker means something
When you finish the training you are a skilled receptionist. 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
PLACEHOLDER_116