Wages and employment terms as apprentice and trained

One of the good things about training to become a paramedic is that you earn money along the way. When you have a training agreement and are taking the main course, you're employed by an employer and get apprentice wages – so you're working while you learn.

The principle in most vocational educations is that apprentice wages rise as you progress through the program. The further you progress, the more you can do, and the more you contribute to the workplace — and this is reflected in your wage. The specific rates are set in the collective agreement in the field and depend, among other things, on how far you are in your education.

Pay and conditions in the sector are typically regulated by an agreement negotiated between employers and a trade organisation. The agreement sets, among other things, wage levels, allowances, working hours and what applies for evening, night and weekend work — something very relevant in a trade where ambulances run 24/7.

• 01Wages are negotiated collectively, not individually from scratch.
• 02Security work outside normal daytime typically triggers allowances.
• 03The agreement also covers holidays, pensions and other terms.

When you are fully trained and thus skilled your conditions change from apprentice status to conditions as a trained employee. You go from apprentice wages to regular wages for skilled workers in the trade and you get full responsibility for the tasks you previously solved under training.

Work is team operation with changing shifts because prehospital care must be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This means you must be able to work at odd times — but it is also why there are allowances attached to the shifts.

Pay rates and allowances change over time and vary between employers and agreements. The only sure way to know your exact terms is to ask to see the current agreement and your employment contract – and ask your trade union if anything is unclear.