The number of people enrolling in vocational education and training has been increasing for years, and the students' academic results are also improving.Continue reading
This summer season, an estimated 100,000 students will be able to work in a variety of fields, from commerce to catering, industry, and agriculture, according to the biggest student work agency network Meló-Diák. The average hourly wage for student workers at the agency is around 1,700 forints (EUR 4.5), but the pay received can be up to five to ten percent higher than the amount calculated on the basis of advertisements.
Although the seasonality of student work is decreasing year by year, the number of young people employed still increases by 40-45 percent on average in the summer, according to the agency. Zoltán Kott, CEO of Meló-Diák, said in the statement that the demand for student work this year is also boosted by high inflation, with more and more people forced to take jobs to cover their basic needs.
Supply is keeping pace with increased demand: although there are fewer student job opportunities in the retail sector than in previous years, many students are expected to work in hospitality, at beaches, festivals and, mainly to replace those on vacation, in factories. Everyone who is looking for a job can find one, with around 600 opportunities currently available on the Meló-Diák website,” the CEO emphasized.
This year again, the best paid jobs are those requiring more specialist skills, such as mechanical engineering or IT, and some hostess jobs, while the most modestly paid are telephone and manual jobs.
Among students, the most popular jobs are those around Lake Balaton, on beaches, at water slides, in restaurants, and at festivals, but agricultural jobs are also among the top choices in many places.
In addition to positions in Hungary, Meló-Diák also offers overseas job opportunities: a record number of more than 400 people applied to Camp America and Au Pair programs this year, 350 of whom are able to travel abroad, 50 more than in 2022.
Meanwhile, Sándor Czomba, Secretary of State for Employment Policy, said that the Ministry of Economic Development expects around 26-27,000 students to participate in the Summer Student Work Program this year, for which the government has provided HUF 3.5 billion (EUR 9.4 million) in wage subsidies.
For 10 years now, the government has been running the program with huge success, primarily providing wage subsidies to encourage secondary school and university students to take up holiday jobs, which is a valuable way of helping young people to gain work experience.
The scheme is open to full-time students between the ages of 16 and 25 who are not currently in employment and do not have a business contract.
The State Secretary said that the provisions of the Labor Code also apply to student work, with a minimum wage of HUF 232,000 gross (EUR 625) for eight hours of work, and at least HUF 296,400 gross (EUR 800) for work requiring secondary education or vocational qualifications. The gross wage is the same as the net wage because of the social security exemption for under-25s, he stressed.
Czomba also said that the subsidies could be claimed by municipalities and businesses in agriculture, tourism, or catering. For municipalities, the state subsidy covers 100 percent of the wage contribution for up to six hours of employment, while in the competitive sector, companies receive 75 percent of the wage contribution for eight hours of employment.
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