NUS Demands a National Minimum Wage for Apprentices
“I really enjoy my job but I would say the worst thing about it is the amount I get paid. I get the minimum £80 a week for 40 hours. Sometimes I have to work overtime and get paid £2 an hour for that. I recently trained a new employee and she was the same age as me and we do the same job but because she wasn’t an apprentice got £5.52 an hour. If I didn’t enjoy my job as much as I do I probably would have quit ages ago.” - Mark, Business Administration Apprentice
NUS has today published our submission to the special Low Pay Commission review into the National Minimum Wage exemption for apprentices. We have called for the exemption to be abolished as the current situation means apprentices can be paid as little as £80 per week with no connection between pay and hours worked.
Key findings within the submission include:
- Pay for up to 40% of apprentices remains below levels that could be achieved taking a “job without training” at minimum wage.
- The £80 per week minimum set by the LSC is totally inadequate in meeting the average costs a learner incurs.
- Low pay is a major reason for many apprentices quitting their programme.
- Women make up the majority of low paid apprenticeships and removing the exemption will help narrow the gender pay gap.
- The existing £80 per week minimum cannot be adequately enforced and a clearly understood legal requirement is essential to protect learners and workers rights.
Read the full submission including a number of case studies.
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