Advice .... Nursery trainee being told they will no longer pay her, and she hasn't finished training !

[vegpatchvirgin]

My son's girlfriend is 19 and has been working for a particular nursery since leaving school. She has completed her level 2 training but is only due to finish her level 3 in January.

Trouble is, she has been being paid only £400 per month as she has been classed as an 'apprentice' and the government funding for this will end in October. The nursery have told her today that as the government funding for her will end in October, from then on, they will not be paying her ! They will 'allow' her to continue working there (for free !) so that she can finish her level 3.

This all sounds rather awful to me, and I'm not sure if they are allowed to do this ? I suppose her 'options' are to work for nothing over the Christmas period but actually get her level 3, or leave and try to get another job and hope that they will fund her to complete her level 3.
Any thoughts or advice pls ? Thanks.

Could she volunteer at the nursery one day a week while she finishes her level 3 and get another job on the other days?

The problem that she will face is that she will find it very hard to find another position because the laws changed that anyone doing an apprenticeship has to be employed by the nursery they are attached to and therefore need to be paid the apprenticeship wage so even if she wanted to continue after october unpaid she couldn't legally as the college/learning provider would get in trouble with the lsc and potentially lose the accreditation to have apprentices all together
However be warned that the nursery will deny this and say she can "volunteer" her time but she will be the one ultimately in trouble as well as her learning provider

The best bet she has is to work like gangbusters and finish before October

For the sake of two months, I would encourage her to finish her qualification and then she can look for a paying job, and she will have experience and a qualifiacation. She is still young and if she can afford it, encourage her to finish her level 3....

I may be wrong but worth checking on the NAS website (national apprenticeship scheme) that after the first year apprentices should be paid at least the minimum wage for their age as opposed to the £2.60 ish per hour apprentice rate,l sounds like she has been overpaid as well. Why is the funding ending? not heard of this before.

Sorry

It sounds like she has been UNDERPAID not overpaid doh!

Just had a shufty on the NAS site pasted this bit for you

In general, apprentices work for at least 30 hours a week. However, the number of hours an apprentice works each week can be reduced if the length of the Apprenticeship programme is also extended. An apprentice must receive the appropriate minimum wage. The rate is £2.65 for those under 19 or in their first year of an Apprenticeship. If an apprentice is 19 or over and past their first year they get the rate that applies to their age.

That is £4.98 for 18- to 20-year-olds and £6.19 for those aged 21 or over. For more details on the national minimum wage, visit the website at www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates

So she has deffo been underpaid since completing her first year, she needs to get some urgent employment advice the NAS site has a contact bit they may be able to help with advice.