2018 Youth and Apprentice Representative Council (JAV) Elections Strong at work – vote for your JAV!

Whether it’s good training conditions or a permanent position after your apprenticeship or dual study program—as young employees, you have your own specific interests at work. And that’s why you have your own representative body that advocates for your issues with your employer: the Youth and Apprentice Representative Council (JAV).

In the JAV elections in October and November, you’ll decide who will represent your interests and rights to management over the next two years and serve as your point of contact if problems arise. You won’t be voting for just anyone—but for young employees just like you—your representatives chosen from among your peers. All employees who are not yet of legal age on election day, as well as all apprentices and dual-track students who are not yet 25 on election day, are eligible to vote.

The Voice of Young People

The JAV is your own committee. It organizes meetings for all young people and apprentices at your company. This allows you to exchange ideas and discuss upcoming issues together. The JAV offers regular office hours and maintains contact with the works council. In this way, it can ensure that your interests are taken into account and addressed.

Want to get involved?

You, too, can help shape your future by voting or even running for the JAV yourself. You’re eligible to do so if you haven’t turned 25 by election day—even if you’ve already completed your apprenticeship. There’s no minimum age for candidates, and they don’t have to have been employed at the company for a specific length of time.

If you’d like to run for office, contact your JAV, your works council, or your local IG Metall chapter. There you’ll get all the necessary information. We asked five active members why it’s worth getting involved in the JAV. Read what they have to say here.

You’re not alone

Anyone who runs for the JAV is choosing to take on responsibility and do something for apprentices and young people. IG Metall Youth supports the JAV by providing advice, training, and informational materials on all practical and legal issues. Together, we can assert our interests—in the workplace, in the industry, and in society:

• For sufficient apprenticeship positions in the desired profession. Despite the turnaround in the apprenticeship market, there is still a shortage of tens of thousands of apprenticeship positions. That has to change. Because those who do not provide apprenticeships jeopardize not only the future of young people, but also that of their own companies.
• For qualified, high-quality vocational training. A good apprenticeship is the foundation of our future. That’s why IG Metall Youth opposes cut-rate and modular training programs. It advocates for qualified instructors, free training materials, and fair exams. And finally, our experts help shape apprenticeship and continuing education programs with a future.
• For apprenticeship wages that provide a living wage. In collective bargaining, the IG Metall Youth fights for better living and working conditions for young people. This includes a wage you can actually live on. After all, apprentices also do valuable work. And they are the skilled workers of tomorrow.
• For permanent employment after apprenticeship. Being hired permanently after completing an apprenticeship in the trade you’ve learned is crucial for starting your career. It’s the only way we can gain experience and pursue further qualifications. That’s why, for the first time in history, we’ve established permanent employment as a principle in the steel industry as well as in the metal and electrical industries.
• For career development opportunities. Only those who continuously learn and stay up to date have good prospects—in life and in their careers. That’s what we stand for.

Strong at work—vote for your JAV! That’s why young employees get involved in the JAV The JAV: The voice of young people and apprentices at work JAV Election: The most important questions and answers