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Swedes snub German apprentice scheme

Swedish students have turned a cold shoulder to the offer of apprenticeships in Germany, a scheme widely credited for keeping youth unemployment low in Sweden's neighbour to the south.

Published: 21 October 2013 11:39 CEST
Swedes snub German apprentice scheme
Photo: File Photo. Ann Törnkvist

The failure of the German government scheme to get Swedish students to relocate to the country for apprenticeship schemes has led to it being revamped.

“One of our problems last year was not that many Swedish students speak German,” Maja Erlbacher, an advisor with the European Employment Agency (EURES) told The Local. “Most of those who show interest have no prior language knowledge at all.”

The programme, called “The Job of My Life,” used to require some level of German language skills as there wasn’t time to learn before the apprenticeships began.

Germany has now scrapped the requirement and has restructured the programme to allow time for language classes.

To encourage young Swedes to enroll, from this autumn onwards, young job-seekers will first be offered support for German language training in Sweden. The language classes then continue on-site in Germany.

Erlbacher said that language education is just one parcel of the larger package the German government is offering. The apprenticeships are paid, and the programme also aims to help students integrate socially.

Germany’s apprenticeship programme is renowned throughout Europe and is said to be one reason why Germany has one of the lowest youth unemployment rates in the EU.

The programme enables students to step into the job market after their ninth year of traditional schooling and add a more practical element to their education.

But many Swedish students are deterred by the length of the apprenticeships, which last between two and three years. Erlbacher said that many students need time to consider the drawn-out relocation, but there’s no way to avoid it.

“There is no possibility of shortening down the apprenticeship period,” Erlbacher told The Local. “It’s a very long time for a young person to be in another country and give up everything one has here in Sweden. But there is a lot to learn and they need all the time they can get. It’s the same period that a German applicant would have.”

About 350 different types of apprenticeship positions are available in various job sectors. Erlbacher said that the chances of placement are very good for those who are interested, although they won’t know how many applicants they have until the end of the year.

Erlbacher said the German and Swedish apprenticeship systems both have benefits, and are too different to compare.

“In Sweden you do all the theoretical stuff there at school, in gymnasium, and then you have a shorter apprenticeship to focus on the practical. In the German system you do these things at the same time.

After ninth grade you are at your workplace three or four days a week and at school one or two days a week, and this goes on for about three years. It’s really not possible to compare them.”

Solveig Rundquist

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WORKING IN GERMANY

Five things to know about salaries in Germany

Finding a job is typically a top priority when planning a move to Germany. The country boasts the third largest economy in the world and a continuing need for skilled professionals. 

Published: 2 May 2024 12:26 CEST
Five things to know about salaries in Germany

If you are moving to Germany, you might soon start looking for a job in the country. However, like many other aspects of living abroad, there are several cultural differences and specificities when it comes to job hunting in Germany – especially when it comes to salaries.

Here are five things to know about salaries in Germany.

There is a minimum wage in Germany

Germany’s minimum wage of €12.41 per hour, pre-tax came into effect at the start of this year. This amounts to a monthly salary of €2,054 which ranks ninth in the world. The minimum wage will rise again in 2025 to €12.82 per hour before tax deductions.

There have been calls recently to hike the salary up higher to €14 per hour.

READ ALSO: Millions of workers in Germany ‘earning less than €14 per hour’

Find out salary expectations

Germany does not require companies to list salary ranges for listed positions. But that may be changing soon. The EU parliament passed a wage transparency law to require companies to publish annual reports detailing wage and wage discrepancy information. The rules, which are set to go into effect in 2027, are intended to help close the gender pay gap. 

In the meantime, employees can utilise online resources to find industry averages and expectations for different roles:

  • Gehalt.de offers users access to salary information on more than 800 professions
  • Online platform, Kununu provides compensation information and employer reviews to users in the DACH region  
  • Berlin residents can utilise REDSOFA’s salary survey for an overview of salary averages in the country’s capital city

As of April 2023 the average gross monthly salary was €4,323 according to Germany’s Federal Statistical Office.

Two-thirds of full time workers make less than this average monthly salary and one-third of workers earn more than this average monthly salary.

While wages after deductions may be less than similar roles in other countries, it is also important to take into consideration what other benefits come with a salary. Paid holiday leave, pension contributions, long notice periods and annual bonuses can help make up some of that difference. 

READ ALSO: How much do employees in Germany typically earn?

Check your payment schedule

Internationals can usually expect their salary once a month when working in Germany. Many German companies choose to pay employees either on the 1st or 15th of the month. It is also important to note that most employees can expect to receive their first pay check within 30 or 45 days of starting. 

For positions that offer yearly bonuses, these payments are included in a 13th pay check which are subject to income tax.  

A person works on a laptop.

A person works on a laptop. Image by Bartek Zakrzewski from Pixabay

How many hours do you work?

When looking for a job, don’t forget to check how many hours you can expect. Job descriptions will include expectations for time commitments. 

Mini-jobs, as expected from the name, are limited in hours and pay. Employees can expect up to €538 per month. Mini-jobs do not provide social security because they do not require social security contributions. Employees are also not automatically covered by health and nursing care insurance. 

Teilzeit, or part time jobs, are defined as any job where working hours are less than a full time position.

A common misconception is that part-time work requires working 20 hours or less a week. But an employee working five days a week for 30 hours, at a position that is typically 40 hours when full time can also be defined as a part time worker. 

READ ALSO: The rules in Germany around ‘mini’ and ‘midi jobs’

In fact, Germany has a term for workers who work between 28 and 36 hours a week. Vollzeitnahe Teilzeit, or nearly full time part time workers, can be a popular choice for some people, including parents. These positions can give employees more flexibility to balance work and family responsibilities. It is important to note that these workers are paid according to their time worked, so it will still amount to less than full time.

Depending on the work schedule, part time employees can earn the same amount of vacation as their full-time counterparts. That’s because holiday leave is calculated based on days worked, not hours. If a part time worker comes in five days a week, they will be eligible for at least 20 days of holiday. If that same part time worker comes in three days a week, they will be legally entitled to twelve days of vacation, even if they worked the same hours as the other employee. 

In most companies, weekly working hours between 35 and 40 hours are considered full-time employment or Vollzeitbeschäftigung. 

Watch out for the gross v. net difference

Before you sign the dotted line, it will be important to check how much of your gross salary you’ll be able to keep come pay day. Companies that include salary expectations in descriptions include gross salary (Bruttoeinkommen) – not the net income after taxes and deductions (Nettoeinkommen). The amount deducted will depend on how much you earn, the tax class you’re in and on other factors such as how much you’re paying for healthcare but it is usually around 40 percent. 

Salaried employees can find information on the deductions on their pay slip. Some to expect to see include:

  • Taxes are deducted directly from the gross pay. The amount is based on the tax bracket your salary falls within 
  • A percentage of your gross salary is also deducted for your pension / retirement contributions
  • Church taxes between eight and nine percent of your salary will also be due if you are affiliated with a religion
  • Unemployment insurance amounts to a 2.5 percent deduction from your gross salary. It is important to note that the insurance covers a salary up to €90,600 
  • Health insurance contribution rates are typically split between employers and employees. The rate depends on the provider. In 2024, the TK contribution rate to health insurance is 15.8 percent of the gross income

READ ALSO: What you need to know about your payslip in Germany 

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