The apprenticeship minimum wage £3.50 per hour is simply not sufficient to live

In response to the Government’s Select Committee report on Apprenticeships, released on Monday 8 October 2018, 

Catherine McGuinness Policy Chairman at the City of London Corporation, said:

“The government’s aim of addressing skills issues through apprenticeships is welcome.

“However, the apprenticeship minimum wage £3.50 per hour is simply not sufficient to live.

“Nearly half of apprentices are over 25 and low pay excludes older people with families and young people not living with their parents.

“And while larger firms often have the capacity to offer quality apprenticeship programmes, smaller firms can lack the resources, knowledge and expertise required.

“Our work with SMEs has revealed a real desire for smaller firms to work together to access training and share knowledge. employ apprentices but often they cannot secure the training they require.

“The government should support these employers to collaborate and incentivise bigger firms to open-up their apprenticeship training to smaller firms.”

The City of London Corporation employs over 100 apprentices are in a diverse range of jobs across the capital, supported by the Apprenticeship Levy. City Corporation apprentices are placed across its departments, learning new skills as tree surgeons at Hampstead Heath, as animal handlers at the Heathrow Animal Reception Centre and museum curators at Keats House.

All City Corporation apprentices, who are recruited from a diverse range of backgrounds, are paid London Living Wage and continue to be supported with careers advice after their apprenticeship.