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How the electrical installation is tested for safety
One of the good things about vocational education is that you earn money while you learn. When you have a training agreement with a company, you get apprentice wages throughout the agreement period - also when you're on school leave. So you don't pay to go to school; it's the other way around.
§Why does salary increase over time?
The student wages are built up in steps and increase as you progress through your education.
§The agreement sets the framework
Your salary and conditions are determined by a collective agreement — an agreement between employer and employee representatives in the field. It is typically the agreement that covers the dental field that determines what you should earn as an apprentice and how it increases. The agreement regulates more than salary: working hours allowances pension vacation and other conditions are also described there.
As a young apprentice you do not need to memorise every paragraph. But it is good to know that there is a rule set and an organisation behind you and that you can get help if something is wrong. In the dental technician field you can among other things find professional support through your trade union.
§Adult student - different rules
If you are 25, you may be entitled to adult apprentice pay. The starting point is often that you must as a minimum have a wage corresponding to the minimum wage for unskilled workers in the field, and this is agreed between you and the company within the collective agreement. Some companies can also receive a subsidy for hiring adult apprentices.
§Trial period and security
The first months of an apprenticeship agreement are probation. During that period both parties can stop the agreement. After probation you are far better protected — the agreement generally cannot be terminated without cause. This gives you peace to concentrate on learning the trade.
§When you are skilled.
When the final step is passed, you go from apprentice terms to being a skilled dental technician. Then adult, skilled terms apply: higher wages than as an apprentice set by the relevant agreement or your individual contract, and the same rights around notice, vacation, and pension as other skilled workers in the trade.
“You invest time - not money. The pay comes along as your competencies grow.”