An apprentice is a person who learns a trade at a workplace to earn a trade certificate or journeyman certificate. You become an apprentice by completing two years of vocational education, seeking an apprenticeship, and signing an apprenticeship contract with an approved apprenticeship company. Training is free, and you receive pay.
What is an Apprentice?
An apprentice is an employee who learns a trade at a workplace. The goal is a trade certificate in a vocational trade or a journeyman certificate in a craft trade.
As an apprentice, you are both a student and a worker at the same time. You do real work while receiving training according to a training plan. Are you unsure which trade you want to choose? Read about free career guidance for jobs and education before you decide.
Typically the entire journey takes four years. After the final exam you are a skilled worker with a trade you can earn a living from. An instructor at the workplace will follow you up along the way.
How to Become an Apprentice: the 2+2 Model
Most people become apprentices through the 2+2 model. This means two years of upper secondary school and two years at a workplace.
First you take Vg1 and Vg2 in a vocational education programme. After Vg2 you apply for an apprenticeship. Once you have a position, you sign an apprenticeship contract and start your apprenticeship training for two years. The contract is sometimes called an training contract.
| Step | Location | Duration | What Happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vg1 | School | 1 year | Basic vocational skills |
| Vg2 | School | 1 year | Specialization in the trade |
| Apprenticeship Training | Workplace | 2 years | Work and training with pay |
| Trade Exam | Workplace | At the end | Trade certificate or journeyman certificate |
The county municipality is responsible for training in the workplace. It approves your apprenticeship contract. Some trades follow other models. In some occupations you are an apprentice for three years after only one year at school.
How to Find an Apprenticeship
You must find an apprenticeship yourself. No one gives it to you automatically. That is why it is worthwhile to apply widely and early. Be active and patient, as many do not find a position until after several applications.
Here is how you apply:
- Register your preference on vigo.no by 1 March (as of 2026).
- See which companies are approved apprenticeship companies on vilbli.no.
- Apply directly to companies, just like a regular job application.
- Use apprenticeship portals and training offices in your trade.
- Ask teachers and people you know for tips.
A training office is a cooperation between several companies. The office helps you with the contract, follow-up and paperwork. In your application you should write briefly about yourself, why you want the trade and what you can do. Include your grades and work experience.
You can sign an apprenticeship contract any time of year. The deadline of 1 March applies to be included in the regular recruitment from the county municipality.
What Does an Apprentice Earn?
An apprentice receives pay throughout the entire apprenticeship training. The pay is a percentage of the salary of a finished skilled worker, and it increases gradually.
The two years at school are free, but without pay. In the workplace the pay often follows the collective agreement in the industry. A typical model for two years of apprenticeship training looks like this:
| Half-year in Workplace | Percentage of Skilled Worker Wage |
|---|---|
| 1st half-year | 30 % |
| 2nd half-year | 40 % |
| 3rd half-year | 50 % |
| 4th half-year | 80 % |
On average this corresponds to approximately 50 % of a skilled worker's wage over the entire apprenticeship training. You earn little at the beginning and more at the end. This is because you create more value for the workplace towards the end. Some collective agreements offer higher rates or special supplements. Always check the agreement in your industry, or ask the union representative.
The Apprenticeship Grant and Your Rights
The state pays an apprenticeship grant to the company that trains you. Basic grant I is 183 093 kroner per apprentice for one full year (in effect from 1 January 2026). The grant makes it cheaper for companies to take on apprentices.
As an apprentice you have the same rights as other employees:
- Health, safety and environment and a safe working environment.
- Holiday and holiday pay under the holiday act.
- Protection against unfair dismissal under the training act and the working environment act.
- Help from a union representative and a safety representative in the workplace.
You are registered as an employee. This gives you, among other things, sick pay and pension on equal terms with your colleagues. The company cannot terminate the apprenticeship contract without good reason. Both the training act and the working environment act protect you.
Can Adults and Immigrants Become Apprentices?
Yes. Adults can earn a trade certificate in several ways, including without being a regular apprentice. Your age is no obstacle. Many combine work and training so that they earn money while they qualify.
- Practice candidate: If you have at least five years of broad practical experience in the trade, you can register for a trade exam without apprenticeship training. You must first pass a separate theory exam.
- Trade certificate at work: You combine work and training at your employer. You must have an employment relationship of at least one year.
- Recognition of prior learning: Experience from work and volunteer work can count. Read about recognition of prior learning in Norway.
Do you have vocational training from abroad? Then you can apply to have your foreign trade certificate or vocational training recognized in Norway. Adults may also be entitled to free upper secondary education (adult right). Do you have schooling from abroad without documents? See help with recognition of education without documents. Good enough Norwegian is often necessary to follow the training and pass the exam.
The Trade Exam — The Final Step
Your apprenticeship training ends with a trade exam or journeyman exam. If you pass, you get a trade certificate or journeyman certificate and become a skilled worker.
During the exam you solve a practical task over a few days. A panel assesses your work. The trade certificate is national proof that you can do your trade. The exam itself is free. If you fail, you can take it again.
With a trade certificate you can work as a skilled worker throughout the country. You can also build further. Many take vocational college or move towards higher education with a preparatory year. The trade certificate closes no doors.
At SamfunnPrep you will find simple explanations of Norwegian arrangements for education and work. Do you want to prepare for theory and exams? See topic about exams and tests. Are you ready to start the path to a trade certificate? Try for free with SamfunnPrep today.
