Apprenticeships

[dotty.]

I took a call on friday from a company that are working with the jobcentre plus to help young people find employment. I didn;t take their details as I was busy and I just asked them to email the details. The caller was offering an full time apprentice who would be paid £2.50 an hour. I almost asked him if the said apprentice would only be allowed to marry with our permission and could not drink on a weekend, but as I said I was busy.
Anyone know what these people are doing paying 16 year olds £2.50 an hour, it was alot in 1972 but not now,

[bednobs]

there is no minimum wage for 16 year olds

[cazzz1975]

I would imagine as an apprentice he would be spending some time in college as well?

[dotty.]

yes I know there isn't, 16 year olds where I work get £4.20 an hour. But I consider £2.50 a very very low rate even for a 16 year old apprentice, minimum wage issues were not something I was exactly thinking about with this question,

[sara3]

slave labour!

http://www.apprentice...ons/FAQDetails11.aspx

[dotty.]

unlihely if they are talking full time, which i took as 36 or more hours a week.

[dotty.]

Brilliant link sara, but, yes, slave labour as they would be doing the same job as the 16 year old weekend kids only for 5 days a week, it's up to me whether we take the offer, but it's a tough one,

[sammmo]

When I was an Young I was offered an apprenticeship starting pay £3-6s-1d per week and a job sitting ontop of a crane directing the driver for £15 per week my father told me to take the apprenticeship which i did.. I'm 58 yrs old and never been out of work.. If someone offered my child an apprenticeship but only paid £2.50 per hour I'd tell my child to take it..I know a lad who worked for 1 year for nothing just forthe training he received..after that he was taken on as an apprentice electrician.. he is now fully qualified and earns £30,000 +

[squarebear]

Some internships pay zero!

[chelle7272]

I guess you also have to balance it out. Any benefits they get if unemployed would be less money per week, (and hasn't there been a proposal about making people do work in the copmmunity to earn benefits ?), they would be learning a skill and have an improved chance of getting a job later in life.

And isn't the £2.50 a minimum? Employers could opt to pay more.