The national minimum wage rate for apprentices has increased from £3.30 to £3.40 on October 1, meaning that thousands of young workers will benefit from a 10 pence per hour payrise.
The increase for apprentices came about at the same time the National Minimum wage was increased by 25p an hour to £6.95.
The announcement was made on the first day of National Apprenticeship Week by Sajid Javid , Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, and announced in a written statement to parliament.
Javid said that the Low Pay Commission’s 2016 report made the recommendation for the apprenticeship increase.
He added:
“On the subject of compliance and enforcement of the National Minimum Wage, the Low Pay Commission’s report recommends that the government considers introducing a requirement on employers that the payslips of hourly-paid staff include a clear statement of hours being paid for, and that the government introduces a formal, public protocol for HM Revenue and Customs to handle third-party whistleblowing on breaches of the national minimum wage.
“The government is committed to the effective enforcement. We will consider these options in full.”
Although the government is insisting that its the highest rate ever, the TUC say all works should be receiving the national living wage, not just people over 25 and is calling from all works to receiving the NLW rate of £7.20 an hour.
Frances O’Grady, the TUC general secretary said on Saturday:
‘Today’s increase will be welcome news for young workers, but there is no justification for paying people in their early 20s 25p an hour less than other adults.
‘Their employment rate is rising and they work just as hard as older workers, yet are entitled to less at the end of the week.
‘These young workers are getting a raw deal – it’s time for the Government to bump them up to the full minimum wage.’
If you wish to hear interesting and topical debate on apprenticeship conferences and more, then take a moment to look at our exciting agenda for our annual Apprenticeships and School Leavers conference taking place in December.
Rebecca joined the HRreview editorial team in January 2016. After graduating from the University of Sheffield Hallam in 2013 with a BA in English Literature, Rebecca has spent five years working in print and online journalism in Manchester and London. In the past she has been part of the editorial teams at Sleeper and Dezeen and has founded her own arts collective.
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