New modern apprenticeship

3 years

Type: wage paid by employer (only some of the apprentices actually receive remuneration); paid directly to the apprentice weekly or monthly according to the contract
Remuneration setting: on a contract basis, set individually, monitored by the Ministry of Education and Culture
Coverage: on-the-job training
Variation(s): remuneration varies from employer to employer and does not take into account the year of apprenticeship, age of an apprentice, trade or education and training level. the remuneration is not nationally fixed/uniform nor it is regulated.

Average remuneration: EUR 300 per month (estimate, remuneration is not regulated)
Level in PPS per month (average): 340.91; per year (average):
Level in PPS per hour (average):
Share of national minimum wage: 40% (estimate)
Share of the average salary of worker: 18% (estimate)

More than 50% of the overall duration of apprenticeship
Number of hours per year: minimum 700.
Apprentices aged below 16: not more than 36 hours/week or not more than 7 hours and 15 minutes/day
Apprentices aged 16 and more: not more than 38 hours/week or not more than 7 hours and 45 minutes/day

Paid by: employer
Rights: minimum rights required by law such as pension, unemployment, annual leave, redundancy.

Costs are fully paid by employers.

Public financing: EUR 520,000 for the period September 2015-June 2017:
- EU funds: 340,000 (2016) + 102,000 (2015)
- public financing from national resources: EUR 78,000 (for the period Sept 2015 - June 2017)
Source: Ministry of Education and Culture

The total remuneration paid to all apprentices in 2016 is estimated to be around EUR 460,000.

Strengths:
- The financial needs of each individual apprentice are targeted and covered.
- There is control on the funds/amounts spent. The system is saved from exploitation.
- The system operates on a lower budget without affecting its efficiency.
- Employers feel that apprentices belong to their workforce as they pay wages and other contributions provided by law. Therefore they do pay more attention to the professional development of the apprentices under their employment.
- Co-funding supports the new apprenticeship scheme to build a sound structure and organisation.
- Furthermore co-funding makes the scheme more prestigious and thus more attractive to prospective apprentices.

Weaknesses:
If co-funding imposes bureaucratic procedures to the scheme then there is the danger of the following:
- Funding mechanism may become more bureaucratic in identifying the needs of the each individual apprentice.
- Needs of certain cases may not be well identified or misjudged and thus slip the proper attention of the system.
- The system may become not attractive and divert form the interest to join it by persons who do need the apprenticeship.
- Employers may not be so willing to take on apprentices.Currently the new scheme does not exploit other available instruments, which could boost its attractiveness and increase its demand.

Statutory minimum wage in some sectors (occupations, regions/states) only. Minimum wage: EUR 870 per month.
The minimum monthly wage increases to EUR 924 in 6 months for specific occupations - shop assistants, clerks, child-care workers (assistant baby and child minders), personal care workers (nursing assistants), security guards, and cleaners of business/corporate premises.
Average yearly working time (hours) for a full time job: 1,725.20