Apprenticeship

How does apprenticeship work in practice?

Apprenticeship training is not a service provided by the Helsinki Employment Services or the TE Services, but a fixed-term employment contract in which the employer undertakes to train the employee. When you participate in apprenticeship training, you are no longer unemployed.

Apprenticeship training is suitable for everyone over the age of 15, unemployed or laid off, entrepreneurs and those in working life who want to develop their skills and improve their professional skills.

Apprenticeship:

• Allows you to complete an initial, further or specialist vocational qualification or parts of a qualification.
• Allows you to study through practical work. During apprenticeship training, you will receive a salary and gain work experience.
• The minimum working time in apprenticeships is, on average, 25 hours per week.
• Your employer can receive support for your employment in the form of a pay subsidy or the Helsinki benefit.
• A completed apprenticeship qualification makes you eligible to apply for a university of applied sciences or university.

A personal study path is planned and implemented for each apprentice, taking into account the student’s previous knowledge. The study time in different qualifications varies depending on how much competence you have before the start of the apprenticeship:

• Initial vocational qualification 1–3 years.
• Further vocational and specialist vocational qualifications 1–1.5 years.