Apprenticeships, are they ok to work this way

[Sparkleelbow]

I’m a chartered accountant. I started on a shit wage and worked my way up. I’m looking at apprenticeships for someone and I just saw one that said salary of £13.2k with accountancy exams training included.

That seems pretty dire. The way it works or how it worked when I started was you were on minimum wage or a tiny bit more and they paid for your training (as a non grad) that is wayyyy below the minimum wage and seems to use the apprenticeship scheme as a way to exploit people rather than truly benefit them.

Is that an apprenticeship aimed at school leavers though?

Currently, apprenticeship minimum wage is £7.55 per hour for everyone in their first year, then £7.55 per hour for under 19s, £10 per hour for 19-20 year olds, and £12.21 per hour for over 21 year olds.

So £13200 salary equates to a 34 hour week at minimum wage.

I think it's fine. They're often an alternative to university - avoiding student debt, making a little money and getting a professional qualification is a win win. Done properly, it won't be just exams - the company will be expected to invest time and effort into developing the apprentice.

Not sure, it didn’t say that on the advert, are they paid that little then? I left school and went into an accounts practice on minimum wage, wondering why it’s no longer minimum wage and now far far below it.

The minimum wage for an apprentice is lower than for non-apprentices: https://www.gov.uk/become-apprentice/pay-and-conditions

The apprenticeship minimum wage was £3.90 per hour 5 years ago, so it's not terrible! Businesses have to spend money on training apprentices.

Dd started her apprenticeship at 16 on £6 something an hour. She's 19 in March and about to reach the grand wage of £10 an hour. When she qualifies in Sept and is taken on, starting salary for a Level 3 mechanic is 30 grand a year. It comes good in the end.
Its just difficult in this, her final year, she's doing the same work as other people, just for less cash. However, her firm and workmates are fantastic, helpful and keep an eye out for her. Not long to go and she'll be a qualified tradeswoman soon.

It is minimum wage plus training /exams covered I can't see anything wrong with them and there is no uni debt .

It will massively depend on what level apprenticeship it is? That would be dire for a degree apprenticeship but not for Level 3 (A level equivalent).

It varies. DS’s first apprenticeship was a similar wage but decided the industry wasn't for him and left after 6 months. His second apprenticeship was £22k. Great money for a 17 year old but actually the quality of the apprenticeship itself was dreadful and a very depressing experience for him. Not all apprenticeships are made equal so I wouldn’t judge by the salary.

My Dd finished her apprenticeship last year she went in as an over 21 so her wages were a bit higher,they were liveable though and she has no student debt.

Except that I started work at 18 in 1989 on a salary of £10K per annum, as a scientific trainee. I went to college (which became a Uni) one day a week for 6 years doing a Chemistry HNC and onto a BSc Chemistry (so effectively an apprenticeship). My course was fully paid for by my employer. I knew people who moved across the country and lived away from home doing apprenticeships, you couldn’t do that on today’s apprenticeship wage with renting a room and living costs, so this impacts someone’s ability to find apprenticeships in the first place. It frustrates me that I look at my 18 year old and feel they are now getting a worse deal with respect to opportunities that I had not that long ago.

The training is paid out of the levy that companies can get. Many apprenticeships are good but some have been rackets in which businesses take on apprentices, pay them a low wage, put in minimal effort re training, use the levy then get rid of the apprentice once training is complete. Choose carefully.

@Neversaygoodbye i think it’s this. The shock that you basically have to live with your parents rent free to be able to do these apprenticeships, there must be people who can’t apply simply due to the salaries being so low. Really sad to see. I was paid minimum wage plus all training. That included all my exams and study leave

The L7 chartered accountancy apprenticeship is equivalent to £21k with the education, books, exams. You are getting a degree equivalent qualification and on the ground work experience all included whilst also being paid. I think its great tbh.

My friends son is doing this. He will be a CA at the end of it with no debt. He left school after A levels and didn’t want to go to university. Living at home means he can save for a deposit on a house because he has minimal expenses. There’s nothing sad about it.

The apprenticeship-level minimum wage applies for the first year only. After that, they are entitled to the normal min wage rate for their age group.

Some employers do pay more, to attract the calibre of applicant that they want, but they don't have to.

Apprenticeships are education vehicles, primarily aimed at young people. They would still be financially dependent on their parents if they went to university instead.

My DS has just graduated having done a degree apprenticeship, it really depends on the level of apprenticeship. He has walked away with all tuition fees paid for his degree, so zero debt. He was earning close to 30k and he stayed at home. But he was guaranteed as long as he did very well a job at the end. There are some very well paid apprenticeships but they are ridiculously competitive and they are higher level apprenticeships. DS had multiple interviews and exams to get accepted. These days the job at the end is a huge draw.