Tools: Formulating apprenticeship agreements

Sample apprenticeship agreement, Switzerland

In Switzerland, apprenticeship contracts are based on a standardized template and refer exclusively to recognized national VET qualifications. They are a unique form of employment contract that include special provisions regarding the apprenticeship as a form of training and education.

The contracts are standardized in terms of their form and the elements that must be covered, such as wages, the qualification to be obtained by completing the apprenticeship, insurance issues, etc. Since there is no statutory minimum wage in Switzerland, apprenticeship wage setting is discretionary, although sectoral associations recommend certain wage brackets for apprentices. The duties and rights of both apprentice and company, based on such contracts, are backed by the corresponding provisions in national law (VET law, obligations law, employment law, etc.). In order to ensure the quality of apprenticeship provision (i.e. that only companies with training authorization are allowed to contract apprentices), avoid abusive contracts and plan for parallel enrolment into an appropriate VET school, cantonal (local) authorities validate the contracts, once they have been signed by the company and the apprentice.

Source: Standard template:
http://vpet.ch/dyn/bin/21423-21425-1-lv_engl_2018_interaktiv.pdf.
General legal provisions regarding apprenticeship agreements:
www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/20001860/index.html#a14.
www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/20031709/index.html#a8.

Sample apprenticeship agreement, Tanzania

This sample apprenticeship agreement from Tanzania includes information covering the following aspects: name of the parties entering the agreement, applicable law and regulations, duration of training, training content, working conditions, roles and responsibilities of employer, apprentice and education/training institution, general provisions (covering meals, medical scheme, working hours), testing and certification, probation period, dispute settlement and termination of apprenticeship agreement.

Source: https://www.skillsforemployment.org/KSP/en/Details/?dn=EDMSP1_254629.

Additional examples of an apprenticeship agreement can be found in Toolkit 1, in Boxes 16, 17 and 18 on pages 40–41.