Those of you with apprentices

[Rickster123]

If he's got you shadowing an engineer during the day then the £2.80 is fair enough. If you're out on your own working for him then he's taking the proverbial in my opinion and it's slave labour. I'm bound to be shot down for that comment but I stand by it.

 

[Ray Stafford]

If he's got you shadowing an engineer during the day then the £2.80 is fair enough. If you're out on your own working for him then he's taking the proverbial in my opinion and it's slave labour. I'm bound to be shot down for that comment but I stand by it.

I agree with Adam.

If you're good enough to work solo, then you are good enough to be paid for it. Apprentice rate is supposed to reflect the fact that apprentices don't contribute much. And they certainly don't supply their own van and tools. I don't want to knock you, because its hard enough to get a start in this game, but I also think your new boss is taking the proverbial.

 

[Millsy 82]

Stupid question but can you be a 37 year old apprentice? I would of thought you would have to be on minimum wage at least just because of your age?

 

[mfgs]

Stupid question but can you be a 37 year old apprentice? I would of thought you would have to be on minimum wage at least just because of your age?

If you are in the first year of your apprenticeship then the minimum wage is £2.73, after the first year of you are over 19 then you need to go on to the minimum wage for your age.

So are you actually at college enrolled on an apprenticeship? You said you have your level 2 already, was that from an apprenticeship or just a full time college course?

 

[jaydebruyne]

If you are in the first year of your apprenticeship then the minimum wage is £2.73, after the first year of you are over 19 then you need to go on to the minimum wage for your age.

So are you actually at college enrolled on an apprenticeship? You said you have your level 2 already, was that from an apprenticeship or just a full time college course?

*sigh* I'm not enrolled onto college, i finished my L2 technical cert in July. I got the L2 on a course but didn't shadow anyone as part of the course.

 

[mfgs]

*sigh* I'm not enrolled onto college, i finished my L2 technical cert in July. I got the L2 on a course but didn't shadow anyone as part of the course.

Then he cant legally pay you under £6.50 an hour I think. If you aren't enrolled on an apprenticeship scheme then he cant be paying you as an apprentice.

 

[jaydebruyne]

Then he cant legally pay you under £6.50 an hour I think. If you aren't enrolled on an apprenticeship scheme then he cant be paying you as an apprentice.

Really? :/ I'm going to just have to suffer it for a while I think. It's an opportunity to learn which I'm not getting elsewhere right now, plus at some point soon I'll get to do my gas as well. So it kind evens itself out a little...

 

[Ray Stafford]

Then he cant legally pay you under £6.50 an hour I think. If you aren't enrolled on an apprenticeship scheme then he cant be paying you as an apprentice.

I think you are right. You can't just call someone an apprentice to justify low pay - it must be a recognised apprenticeship. Otherwise, national minimum wage applies.

 

[R.Oak]

Really? :/ I'm going to just have to suffer it for a while I think. It's an opportunity to learn which I'm not getting elsewhere right now, plus at some point soon I'll get to do my gas as well. So it kind evens itself out a little...

Unlikely to be some time soon i would have thought. He will probably want you get some experience if general plumbing under your belt first.

 

[jaydebruyne]

Unlikely to be some time soon i would have thought. He will probably want you get some experience if general plumbing under your belt first.

Yeah I thought that, but he rang a course provider while I was with him about booking me on the course. I'll just see what happens. I'm focussing on now and learning and doing my best at what jobs he gives me first. I'll evaluate the pay etc later on down the line.

 

[rpm]

Bottom line is you have a job jay so congrats on that.

 

[R.Oak]

Yeah I thought that, but he rang a course provider while I was with him about booking me on the course. I'll just see what happens. I'm focussing on now and learning and doing my best at what jobs he gives me first. I'll evaluate the pay etc later on down the line.

thats good then, congrats on the job, and on the baby too. Hope everything works out well.

 

[Masood]

We are so negative on here sometimes it's painful. Yes, Jay is being held over a barrel. Yes he's being shafted. Yes, it's illegal to pay apprentice rate unless as part of a formal apprenticeship agreement. BUT - someone has given the man a chance, and is paying him SOMETHING at least. Better than those poor sods offering to work for free, no? Would we be happier if Jay had NO job? Sure we'd have the moral high ground that we'd stopped him being exploited but you can't eat morals.

Best of luck Jay. For what it's worth I'd have done the same as you (did something similar in fact). Learn, absorb, progress and demonstrate to your boss that you're a valuable asset. The financial rewards will come. Do suggest, as soon as you are earning him money on your solo days, that he pay you more on those days.

 

[Rickster123]

We are so negative on here sometimes it's painful. Yes, Jay is being held over a barrel. Yes he's being shafted. Yes, it's illegal to pay apprentic rate unless as part of a formal apprentice agreement. BUT - someone has given the man a chance, and is paying hime SOMETHING at least. Better than those poor sods offering to work for free, no?

Bets of luck Jay. For what it's worth I'd have done the same as you (did something similar in fact). Learn, absorb, progress and demonstrate to your boss that you're a valuable asset. The financial rewards will come.

Amen to that!

 

[jaydebruyne]

We are so negative on here sometimes it's painful. Yes, Jay is being held over a barrel. Yes he's being shafted. Yes, it's illegal to pay apprentice rate unless as part of a formal apprenticeship agreement. BUT - someone has given the man a chance, and is paying him SOMETHING at least. Better than those poor sods offering to work for free, no? Would we be happier if Jay had NO job? Sure we'd have the moral high ground that we'd stopped him being exploited but you can't eat morals.

Best of luck Jay. For what it's worth I'd have done the same as you (did something similar in fact). Learn, absorb, progress and demonstrate to your boss that you're a valuable asset. The financial rewards will come. Do suggest, as soon as you are earning him money on your solo days, that he pay you more on those days.

Indeed, sir! I know I'm not getting the best deal in the world in terms of pay, but the positives outweigh the negatives by far in terms of experience and learning 🙂 so I'm a happy chap...

 

[jaydebruyne]

Thanks everyone for many things: honesty, encouragement and welcoming me to this lovely forum!! There are times when you guys help more than you realise - and that's all the mushy stuff I can muster for one evening haha 😉

 

[IDCHAPPY]

We have 2... i thought it was a great idea at one time :lol:

 

[Ray Stafford]

We are so negative on here sometimes it's painful. Yes, Jay is being held over a barrel. Yes he's being shafted. Yes, it's illegal to pay apprentice rate unless as part of a formal apprenticeship agreement. BUT - someone has given the man a chance, and is paying him SOMETHING at least. Better than those poor sods offering to work for free, no? Would we be happier if Jay had NO job? Sure we'd have the moral high ground that we'd stopped him being exploited but you can't eat morals.

Best of luck Jay. For what it's worth I'd have done the same as you (did something similar in fact). Learn, absorb, progress and demonstrate to your boss that you're a valuable asset. The financial rewards will come. Do suggest, as soon as you are earning him money on your solo days, that he pay you more on those days.

I see where you are coming from Mas, but I don't see why I can't approve of Jay's get-up-and-go spirit, whilst simultaneously disapproving of an employer who will send him out solo on £2.65 per hour.

Yes, he may be "giving him a chance". The same would apply if I offered a warehouse job at the same rate - or crop picking, or working in a care home.

I didn't agree with the introduction of the minimum wage for reasons I won't bore everyone with, but once you have it, you should properly enforce it. Otherwise honest, law-abiding firms are put at a competitive disadvantage against dishonest firms who are allowed to break the law. And that can't be right.

 

[brum]

I was today working with a 17 year old 1st year apprentice (4 weeks in) he is on £3.30 per hour I thought that was a good rate approx. £130 per week..brum

 

[Masood]

I see where you are coming from Mas, but I don't see why I can't approve of Jay's get-up-and-go spirit, whilst simultaneously disapproving of an employer who will send him out solo on £2.65 per hour.

Yes, he may be "giving him a chance". The same would apply if I offered a warehouse job at the same rate - or crop picking, or working in a care home.

I didn't agree with the introduction of the minimum wage for reasons I won't bore everyone with, but once you have it, you should properly enforce it. Otherwise honest, law-abiding firms are put at a competitive disadvantage against dishonest firms who are allowed to break the law. And that can't be right.

I'm not disagreeing with you Ray - in my first post on the matter I suggested that Jay should have negotiated a dual pay rate. I agree totally that he is being taken advantage of. But being a pragmatist, I feel that 40 hours at £2.80 whilst gaining experience and confidence is much better than sitting on the dole insisting on his fair rate of pay.