Should the minimum apprenticeship wage be more?

[Ryan]

It's not appealing at all for any youngster when they're looking for a job and see an apprenticeship that's 40 hours a week and they'd only earn £95, whether you're learning or not, it's not a wage I agree with.

Do you think it's a suitable wage, or should it be higher?

 

[Neildigital]

As an employer, I look at it as a wage that a small business would be able to afford to bring in a possible new member of staff.

I believe the level of wage is considered correct for a young person living at home with no external bills, except personal expenses, ie no rent/mortgage, rates, utilities, etc.

My company's plan for apprentices wages is to pay the minimum wage, and once the 6 months is up, the government grant payment will be used to give a pay increase for the next 6 months. Once the final grant payment at 12 months is paid this will be used to increase again for the next 6 months. So as a company we will be only be paying minimum wage for the first 18 months. Does that make sense?

 

[Ryan]

Yes, that makes sense It also sounds reasonable too.

As for me, I have to pay rent, phone contract, moped bills, and other expenses, which do add up and come the end of the month, I'm not left with much money. If young people don't have any bills etc, then I agree the minimum wage is fine

 

[whocky]

I think that £100 ish ( give or take ) for around 40+ hours is reasonable. it's a win win for both the employer and the person doing the apprenticeship. The employer is getting an extra member of staff at such a low price and the person doing the apprentice is learning a trade and getting paid for it. Also what you have to think about is that if you was in full time education ( School ) you wouldn't get paid for it.

 

[Ryan]

I do agree to an extent, however you end up doing a full time job and the learning part of the apprenticeship goes out the Window. I don't think the wage is too low, I just feel like for people like myself, who actually have bills etc, it can become a struggle

 

[fairdealworld]

As an employer who just embarked on having an apprentice for the very first time five weeks ago, I'd say that the concept of a small wage caused me quite a lot of concern. In the end I decided to go for a really low initial wage, though slightly above the minimum, with a specific increase promised when the apprentice completed their first 8 weeks in post and a more general promise of regular wage reviews according to progress. I went for the low initial wage to try to make sure we got someone who was genuinely interested in learning and progressing by the apprenticeship route, rather than someone taking the position just to get a job, any job.

I'm regarding the grant mostly as a means of paying for experiences I feel the apprentice ought to have as opposed to what is built into the intermediate level retail apprenticeship course.

I still feel bothered about the 'cheap labour' aspect but actually given the economic situation I have been unable to replace staff as they left or retired and would not have been able to take on someone new full time if I'd had to pay a higher rate from the start. As it is - as I seem to have taken on a very good apprentice - I hope that a combination of her enthusiasm and the skills she will develop during the apprenticeship will help us grow the business and thus be able to offer her a decently paid full time job at the end of her apprenticeship. In fact she may well opt not to stay on as I'd be surprised if she didn't want to go on to an Advanced level apprenticeship and we may, perhaps, be too small a business to provide all the experiences needed for that. I'm too new to apprenticeships to know much about the Advanced level.

 

[lookingforadvice]

My step son has recently left his employment and is looking to continue his apprenticeship elsewhere but it is proving tricky. While he ended up on a decent wage it was very low at the start - too low. However, I also understand the risk an employer is taking so there does need to be some give and take. Offering pay rises as an incentive would seem the best way forward for me - if the apprentice can do the job then they will be worth more than the pay rise to the employer, if not then no point continuing with them?

 

[reshyam]

Hi Guys,
Well come to forum site.We do agree to an extent, however you end up doing. We full time job and the learning part of the apprenticeship goes out the Window. We don't think the wage is too low, We just feel like for people like myself, actually have bills etc it can become a life struggle.

 

[lookingforadvice]

It can be tricky balancing the need to learn on the job with being as productive as possible for your employer. However, everyone has bills to pay as you say. Should the government not help more and give apprentices a decent wage, taking some of the pressure off employers?

 

[karen]

It depends on the perspective of employer and employee. I think from the point of view of an employee, that will be less. But it should be reasonable to both the employer as well the employee.

 

[stumpsd]

From the point of view of an apprentice, I don't really care about which side the funding is coming from. It doesn't really affect the question of whether how much we get is fair.