£16 a week apprenticeship???

clare1angel

I don't know if anyone can help with this but I hope so!!!

I know a 16 year old girl who is doing an apprenticeship through a hairdressers and only gets paid £16 a week which is paid monthly.
She works at least 4 days in the salon including Saturdays and attends the hairdressers college on one day a week and when she is working in the salon she works 9am-6pm.

She has tried enquiring with the salon and her tutor but they say it's right so would really appreciate any help with this!!!

Thanks in advance

:A

chinagirl

Is she entitled to any help via EMA? Sounds that she is doing vocational training/learning.

clare1angel

She's been told she's not entitled to EMA? If it's vocational does that mean she can only get £16?

She just isn't getting any answers and is wondering wether to stay.

:A

Rockyroad

Hi,
Hopefully this can help.

Apprenticeship and training pay


Sometimes there are agreed rates for certain stages of an apprenticeship. This means you may get pay increases when you have a birthday, achieve a qualification or reach a certain standard. Minimum wage rules do not apply to all stages of an apprenticeship. 16 to 18 year old apprentices are exempt from the minimum wage. Apprentices aged 19-25, who are in the first 12 months of their apprenticeship, are not entitled to the minimum wage until the second year of their apprenticeship. Pay may vary depending on your “status” as an apprentice. There is a general agreement that "employed" apprentices should be paid a minimum of £80 per week for a 35-hour week. From August 09 this will rise to £95. Further advice can be obtained from the minimum wage helpline on 0845 6000 678. Some young people train with a business or organisation without being employed by it. If this is a programme-led apprenticeship (PLA) you might be entitled to an Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) of £10, £20 or £30 a week. This depends on your household income so not everyone qualifies.
If you are doing e2e you should recieve the maximum £30 per week EMA. For more about EMA ring the helpline on 0800 121 8989 or visit www.direct.gov.uk/moneytolearn.

clare1angel

Hi Rockyroad

Thanks for that but Chinagirl said about it being vocational training/learning?

Do you know if this makes a difference to what they pay apprentices?

:A

sputty01

clare1angel wrote: »

She's been told she's not entitled to EMA? If it's vocational does that mean she can only get £16?

She just isn't getting any answers and is wondering wether to stay.

:A

It sounds to me like shes on a programme led apprentiship. This means the employer is well within their rights to pay whatever they want, remember it is still classed as education and most people her age wont be being paid anything for theirs. As for EMA she may be entitled to it providing her household income is less than £30,810 a year, if its over that then she wont be entitled to anything over the £16 the employer is giving her.

sb13579

hell no. HELL NO. tell her to quit immediately. i did an apprenticeship and i got £3.50 per hour and it was for 5 years with 50p a year increase. i would of got 14k after it. its robbery. this company isnt worth her time. i walked out without working my notice and havent looked back. i mean if they pay her that now whats she gonna get in the future? all they are doing is paying her dirt for god labour then when shes done theyl sack her and get another slave. get her out now. I HATE THIS COMPANY ALREADY. tell her to rob from the till and work so slowly that she doesnt work at all.

elisebutt65

Tell her to apply for a proper apprenticeship - see here for rates of pay. Sounds like she's being to made to work as slave labout

sb13579

elisebutt65 wrote: »

tell her to apply for a proper apprenticeship - see here for rates of pay. Sounds like she's being to made to work as slave labout

a lot of apprenticeships these days are trying to give the apprentices peanuts. And the worst thing is because there so young and naieve they take the job. They should at least get the adult minimum wage. Some places pay like £80 per week.

BritRael

sb13579 wrote: »

hell no. HELL NO. tell her to quit immediately. i did an apprenticeship and i got £3.50 per hour and it was for 5 years with 50p a year increase. i would of got 14k after it. its robbery. this company isnt worth her time. i walked out without working my notice and havent looked back. i mean if they pay her that now whats she gonna get in the future? all they are doing is paying her dirt for god labour then when shes done theyl sack her and get another slave. get her out now. I HATE THIS COMPANY ALREADY. tell her to rob from the till and work so slowly that she doesnt work at all.

I can see where you're coming from, and in my younger days I would have 100% agreed. However, I'm a bit older now, and (more importantly) there are less jobs around.

So although I agree with your sentiments, I'd recommend leaving immediately only if she has another job to go to. If not, start looking for another but stay and treat it for what it is; a chance to learn some skills which could give a job for life.

As for "robbing the till and working slowly" I'm hoping you're joking? The last thing anybody needs on their resume is 'sacked from last job for stealing and bad attitude to work'.

Oldernotwiser

sb13579 wrote: »

a lot of apprenticeships these days are trying to give the apprentices peanuts. And the worst thing is because there so young and naieve they take the job. They should at least get the adult minimum wage. Some places pay like £80 per week.

Why on earth should someone of 16, on an apprenticeship, get paid nearly £6 per hour.

You must have been drinking heavily last night!