Wages and employment terms as dairy apprentice and tradesman
How apprentice wages, agreements, and conditions work when you are a journeyman dairyman
Introduction
One of the big advantages of a vocational education is that you earn money while you learn. When you are apprenticed as a dairy worker, you receive pay from the company you are employed by. Here we explain how pay and conditions typically work — without promising you specific amounts, because rates are set in the collective agreement and are negotiated continuously.
Student wages during practice
As an apprentice you receive an agreed trainee wage during the periods when you work at your apprenticeship. A basic principle is that wages increase as you progress through your apprenticeship and become more independent in dairy work. You start lower as a new apprentice and move up to a higher level as you approach the journeyman's exam.
- 01The apprentice wages are typically divided into steps that increase through the education.
- 02The rates follow the pay agreement concluded for the dairy industry.
- 03There is generally a right to vacation and vacation pay like other employees.
- 04If you don't have an apprenticeship place, there may be other arrangements that cover part of the period.
Which collective agreement applies?
Wages and conditions for dairy apprentices follow a wage agreement negotiated between employers and employee organisations in the dairy industry — on the employer side the Dairy Employers' Association, and on the employee side the trade unions Food and Allied Workers' Union (NNF) and Danish Trade Union Federation (3F). For you it means there are clear ground rules and your wage does not depend on chance.
Terms in the education agreement
Before you start, you must have a written training agreement that you and the company sign. If you are under 18, a parent must sign. The agreement typically has a trial period at the beginning where both parties can terminate without reason. It also sets things like vacation and provisions for illness — read it carefully.
| Phase | Wage level | Note |
|---|---|---|
| New student | Lowest student grade | Increases throughout the program |
| Experienced apprentice | Higher trainee level | Closer to the journeyman exam |
| Skilled cheesemaker | Skilled wage. | Higher than trainee wages with skilled conditions |
Terms when you are trained
When you have passed the journeyman exam you are a skilled dairyman. As skilled you go from apprentice wages to regular skilled wages which are typically substantially higher. You also get the terms that come with being fully trained – for example pension and any allowances for shift work evening or weekend work which is common in dairy production.
“You invest in a craft — and you get paid while you do it.”