470 new apprentice training students will soon be commencing their studies in 15 vocational education centres, with more than 1000 further apprentices forecast to join them later in the year. Over a period of three years a total of 4700 apprentice training places will be established, with the aim of having created as many as 8000 by 2020.
Minister Jürgen Ligi says apprenticeship training provides the apprentices with actual work experience and employers with actual employees whom they do not have to start training all over again. “Bringing education and the labour market closer together means everybody wins,” Minister Ligi remarked. “The effectiveness of apprenticeship training can be seen in its success in the strongest industrial countries around the world.”
At least two-thirds of the apprenticeships will take place in a work experience location under the guidance of a mentor. Unlike ordinary students, however, the apprentices will also earn wages. All of the ordinary rights enjoyed by vocational students – a student card, education allowances, compensation of travel costs and free lunches – will be extended to those taking part in the apprenticeships. The apprenticeship training will mostly take place in cooperation between the vocational education institutions and large companies. The aim is to popularise the form of study and to also develop cooperation models for smaller companies. The apprenticeships are also to be piloted in institutions of higher education. The committee for the planning of national training orders has revealed that the most popular fields of apprenticeship training are health care and social services (70 apprentices); tourism, catering and accommodation (69 apprentices); horticulture (45 apprentices); mechanics and metal processing (45 apprentices); and construction (43 apprentices). Close to 50 organisations applied to take part and will now cooperate with the schools to start training the apprentices. This year vocational education institutions have the opportunity to apply for training places four times.
Minister Jürgen Ligi says apprenticeship training provides the apprentices with actual work experience and employers with actual employees whom they do not have to start training all over again. “Bringing education and the labour market closer together means everybody wins,” Minister Ligi remarked. “The effectiveness of apprenticeship training can be seen in its success in the strongest industrial countries around the world.”
At least two-thirds of the apprenticeships will take place in a work experience location under the guidance of a mentor. Unlike ordinary students, however, the apprentices will also earn wages. All of the ordinary rights enjoyed by vocational students – a student card, education allowances, compensation of travel costs and free lunches – will be extended to those taking part in the apprenticeships. The apprenticeship training will mostly take place in cooperation between the vocational education institutions and large companies. The aim is to popularise the form of study and to also develop cooperation models for smaller companies. The apprenticeships are also to be piloted in institutions of higher education. The committee for the planning of national training orders has revealed that the most popular fields of apprenticeship training are health care and social services (70 apprentices); tourism, catering and accommodation (69 apprentices); horticulture (45 apprentices); mechanics and metal processing (45 apprentices); and construction (43 apprentices). Close to 50 organisations applied to take part and will now cooperate with the schools to start training the apprentices. This year vocational education institutions have the opportunity to apply for training places four times.