Nearly a third of apprentices were not paid the legal minimum wage in 2012, according to information published by the department for Business, Innovation and Skills this afternoon.
The findings in the Apprenticeships pay survey 2012, dubbed “shocking” by unions, show 29 per cent of learners did not receive the then legal minimum of £2.65 an-hour last year, up 45 per cent from 20 per cent the year before.
In October this year, the legal minimum wage was increased to £2.68 an-hour.
The survey also found that the amount of time apprentices spent training had fallen — those doing off-the-job-training said they spent five hours training on average, compared to 6.3 hours in 2011.
Time spent on- the-job training fell from 12.4 hours in 2011 to 11.6 in 2012.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “These findings are shocking and show how many apprentices are currently seen as little more than cheap labour.”
Some industries had even higher percentages of apprentices not getting their full entitlement.
In childcare, underpayment was up 65 per cent on the previous year, while 69 per cent of hairdressing apprentices were underpaid.
Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at
via Apprentices paid below £2.65 an hour legal minimum jumps 45% | FE Week.
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