PLACEHOLDER_54
Student wages that increase, collective agreement and conditions as a skilled worker.
One of the big advantages of a vocational education is that you get paid while you learn. Once you have a training contract with a company, you are employed and receive apprentice pay. You do not need to take out a student loan to get through — you earn money while you do.
§PLACEHOLDER_93
The apprentice wages are not fixed all the way. They are typically lowest at the start and increase step-wise the further you get in the education. The logic is simple: the more you can the more you are worth to the company. This means that your wages in the last year as an apprentice are noticeably higher than the first.
§What is a collective agreement?
On the industry's field, wages and working conditions are negotiated between employers and trade unions in a collective agreement. It is the one that sets your minimum wage as an apprentice, your supplements, your working hours, and your rights. The collective agreement applies typically when your workplace is covered by the agreement — and it is renegotiated at fixed intervals.
- 01You get paid from the day the training agreement takes effect
- 02PLACEHOLDER_100
- 03School periods are also part of your employment
- 04Terms such as vacation, pension and allowances follow the collective agreement
- 05A trade association can help you check that everything is correct
§Terms when you are trained
When you have the journeyman's certificate you go from apprentice wages to skilled wages. As a skilled toolmaker you're a sought-after specialist reflected in both wages and job opportunities. Your terms — wages working hours pension — will typically still follow a collective agreement if your workplace is covered by one.
§Why it is worth knowing your terms
Knowing your contract is not just about pay. It is about knowing what you are entitled to if you get sick, need to attend school, or something goes wrong at work. The better you know your conditions, the stronger you stand.
“You invest several years in a trade — make sure you know the terms that come with it.”