Apprentice Wage Help!?!?

[Samj167]

I've recently been offered an electrical apprenticeship. However I received my contract in the post today and I saw that my wage is going to be £2.65. I'm 19 years of age and have rent, car insurance etc to pay for so I was wondering am I expecting too much? Or as I'm thinking is this not enough?

PS... I know it is within the minimum wage for a first year apprentice I was just hoping for a little more considering my age.

THANKS!

 

[Dean Williams]

i'm surprised it hasn't increased much over the years. i started my apprenticeship in 2000 at £2.30 an hour

 

[TaffyDuck]

From an employers point of view a 1st year apprentice is a liability. I know some beleive they are gods gift to the trade but that is not the case. I always paid my apprentices more but were they worth it in the 1st year? Probably not. If I was to take an employed apprentice on again, which I wont, I think I`d pay the minimum now.

The alternative is to go to university and get paid nothing and come out with a degree, no experience, probably no job and be in debt of say £30k.

Your new employer could find a dozen lads to fill that vacancy, at whatever age you are the lack of any meaningful experience and the amount of time from experienced guys that you will need dont make you worth more than £2.65 and maybe not even that.

The fact that you have rent and bills to pay is of no relevance to your employer.

Take it, bite the bullet, see if you can get another part time job to supplement your income in year one is my advice. Whatever you do DONT ask for more money before you even start cos if you did that to me you wouldn`t even start.

 

[stuartcourt]

you would save £2.65 if your apprentice ran to the van once an hour

 

[TaffyDuck]

you would save £2.65 if your apprentice ran to the van once an hour

Indeed. You are absolutely correct IF you assume that the apprentice is there to make the tea, sweep up and run to the van. However if you assume that there will be instruction from more experienced guys, who obviously cant do that and do their own jobs, slow completion of set tasks, mistakes to rectify and , certainly in the 1st year, having to get everything checked then I think you will find I`m right.

Unless of course you are advocating using apprentices as cheap unskilled labour?

 

[stuartcourt]

I dont think your right at all what I am saying is the lads we have taught of course slow you down but make up more than enough time getting stuff from van, tidying up, chasing out, feeding cables etc etc and yes they do make the tea

 

[Samj167]

Ok so I rang the firm and explained my situation today. They were brilliant and have sorted the situation by offering me a little bit more. Now feeling incredibly relieved. Thanks all that helped!

 

[stuartcourt]

Nice one and sounds like good company

 

[GLENNSPARK]

I've recently been offered an electrical apprenticeship. However I received my contract in the post today and I saw that my wage is going to be £2.65. I'm 19 years of age and have rent, car insurance etc to pay for so I was wondering am I expecting too much? Or as I'm thinking is this not enough?

PS... I know it is within the minimum wage for a first year apprentice I was just hoping for a little more considering my age.

THANKS!

eh?...just shut up and get on with it....

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Ok so I rang the firm and explained my situation today. They were brilliant and have sorted the situation by offering me a little bit more. Now feeling incredibly relieved. Thanks all that helped!

cheeky get....do a year for em first before you dare go in that office asking for more...
what do you think it is....

 

[Jay Sparks]

I'm afraid you're probably expecting too much mate but I'm thinking that your employer will get some sort of government subsidy for employing you so you could ask him if there's any way you could get a bit more. My first pay packet contained the princely sum of £20 per annum

.........lol

 

[GLENNSPARK]

.........lol

but were talking a long time ago jay...think inflation..over the last 50 years or so....

 

[KAS1]

Have you checked the JIB apprentice wage rates?

 

[Stuuk1]

I've recently been offered an electrical apprenticeship. However I received my contract in the post today and I saw that my wage is going to be £2.65. I'm 19 years of age and have rent, car insurance etc to pay for so I was wondering am I expecting too much? Or as I'm thinking is this not enough?

PS... I know it is within the minimum wage for a first year apprentice I was just hoping for a little more considering my age.

THANKS!

Where abouts are you located?

 

[Samj167]

In Somerset

 

[KAS1]

From and including 4th January, 2010, the hourly rates for Job Employed apprentices shall be:(i) National Standard Rates:

Grade	Transport Provided	Own Transport
Stage 1	£4.35	£5.09
Stage 2	£6.41	£7.16
Stage 3	£9.28	£10.05
Stage 4	£9.82	£10.59

- - - Updated - - -

Bit out of date