Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB)

Are trainees satisfied with their pay?

Beicht, Ursula; Krewerth, Andreas

The opportunity to earn "some money of their own" whilst training represents a particular benefit of the dual system of vocational education and training for young people. However, training allowances paid vary widely and many trainees do not currently earn enough to cover their living costs. More than one in four are prepared to take on the stresses and strains of a part-time job. Some do this to finance their basic living needs, some to fulfil additional desires. Trainee satisfaction with their training allowance does not depend solely on the absolute amount paid. The scope of productive work to be carried out within the company, for example, is also a relevant factor. These findings emerge from a survey of around 6,000 trainees carried out by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training as part of the research project "Vocational Training from the Trainees' Point of View".