what is the minimum wage for a 16 yr old on an apprenticeship?

[GILLANS_GIRL]

hi my niece is doing an apprenticeship in a hair dressers she currently works 40 hrs per week and her wages work out to be only 1.50 per hour is this right ???

[gammaray]

On October 1st this year the national minimum wage for persons under the age of 18 will be �3.30 per hour. However payment while "Training" may not be bound by minimum wage legislation which is why hairdressers take on so many "apprentists" and get away with paying what amounts to slave wages.

[hugnie21]

Apprentices under 19 are not entitled to minimum wage unfortunately

[mikey0118]

That's pretty much it. If an employer calls a job a "modern apprenticeship", they can pay pretty much what they like. They don't have to pay a minimum wage.

Perhaps your niece should enrol on a hair and beauty course at a local college, but better be quick as courses have probably already started. She'll meet new people and have to put in fewer hours. Not only that, but she could get a weekend, where she would probably earn even more than her current job in a month anyway!

And I'm sure the college will help with work placements once the course is over.