Salary and employment conditions as an apprentice

One of the good things about taking a vocational education is that you earn money while you learn. Once you've started the main course and have a training agreement, you're employed and get apprentice wages during the periods when you're in training. This means you don't have to live on student grants during that part of the education.

The apprentice wages are typically step-wise: they are lowest at the beginning and increase as you progress further in the education. The logic is simple — the more you can and the more responsibility you take the more your contribution is worth at the workplace. Your wages depend both on how far you have gotten and can depend on your age.

Wages and conditions for pedagogical assistants are usually regulated by a collective agreement negotiated between employers (typically municipalities) and a trade union. In this area, FOA is the trade union that organizes many pedagogical assistants and students. The agreement determines among other things wages, supplements, working hours, pension and holidays — in short, a framework for what you can expect as an employee.

When you are done you are a skilled pedagog assistant. This typically gives you a higher and more stable wage than unskilled pedagog assistants because you have papers on your competencies. You also have a stronger foundation if you later want further education and you count as skilled labour who may perform tasks an unskilled person not necessarily may stand with alone.

• 01You are employed with pay during the training periods in the main course
• 02The pay typically rises progressively through the course
• 03Terms follow a collective agreement — not a price you negotiate alone
• 04As a skilled person you stand stronger on wages and further education

Remember that terms can look a little different depending on whether your employer is a municipality or a private institution. Ask questions before signing a training agreement so you know what you are getting into.