TUC response to Prime Minister's announcement on apprenticeship pay
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Responding to the Prime Minister's commitment to ask the Low Pay Commission to look into apprenticeship pay today (Wednesday), Trade Union Congress General Secretary Brendan Barber said:
'The TUC welcomes the Prime Minister's commitment to look into apprenticeship pay. Apprenticeships help many thousands of people into skilled work every year, but the poverty wages that some receive deter people from taking them up and lead to many dropping out.
'Increasing pay will boost the reputation of apprenticeships as an attractive route into work. This is vital if the Government is to deliver its expanded apprenticeship programme, announced last week.'
- The minimum wage is currently £5.52 for adults, £4.60 for 18-21 year olds and £3.40 for 16-17 year olds.
- The TUC has seen evidence of apprentices receiving as little as little as £1.53 an hour.
- Apprentices under 18 and older workers in the first year of their apprenticeship are currently exempted from the national minimum wage.
- The TUC has asked the Government to review these exemptions as some apprentices are earning poverty pay rates.
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