Tools and Books

The tools included in the tool list are issued by the employer to carpenter apprentices as personal tools at the start of their apprenticeship.

The National Trade Committee has decided that the tool list must also include a selection of the profession’s most important text books, all listed in the Book Package recommended by the Carpentry Profession (Tømrerfagets Bogpakke).

The Book Package is available in electronic form and apprentices are provided with a login to the package when they start the main course module of their apprenticeship at the local technical college. The employer will subsequently receive an invoice directly from Erhvervsskolernes Forlag which publishes the books.

As of August 1st 2012, the price of the book package is DKK 2,041 excl. VAT.

For short apprenticeship agreements, the employer who initially employs the apprentice also purchases the tools and book package on the same terms applicable to standard apprenticeship agreements.

The tools must be of good professional quality equivalent to those described in the tool list. They must accompany the apprentice during college periods and must always remain well maintained and in a usable condition.

At the start of their apprenticeship, apprentices must be given the opportunity to produce a toolbox to ensure that their tools can be stored safely and under lock during their college studies and on-site work placements.

Tool and Book Account
The book package is issued by the employer. The apprentice and employer agree on a reasonable arrangement or ‘Tool and Book Account’ to settle the payment of the tools and the book packages according to the invoiced price on the purchase date.

The National Trade Committee has produced an agreement template that can be used for such an arrangement. The National Trade Committee recommends using this template to as large an extend as possible.

The agreement template does not, however, change the current legal position contained in the collective agreement regarding the apprentice’s payment for the tools. Neither does it have a limiting effect on the rights of the enterprise. This has been determined by industrial arbitration on October 14th 2010. 

Personal protection equipment
At the start of the apprenticeship, the employer is responsible for ensuring that suitable safety footwear and other personal protection equipment, hearing protection, safety goggles etc. are issued to the apprentice.

Personal protection equipment should not be included in the tool and book arrangement or account.

The apprentice is under obligation to use the issued personal protection equipment both on a day-to-day basis and during college studies in any hazardous situation.

The apprentice must keep the issued personal protection equipment clean and take due care of it.

Work clothing
Apprentices are entitled to two sets of work clothing per year of learning, eight sets in total during their apprenticeship. The work clothing is issued by the employer, initially after completion of the trial period and must be of standard good quality.

Agreement on payment of tools and books