minimum wage

[gina32]

a friend of mine works as an apprentice in a hairdresses and for an 8.5 hour day 5 days a week she gets �85, her dad phoned the boss and said surely you have to pay minimum wage and she told him that because she is an apprentice she didnt have to, is this right? thanks

[kempie]

Apprentices who are under the age of 19 are not entitled to the minimum wage.

Apprentices aged 19 to 25 who are in the first 12 months of their apprenticeship are also not entitled to the minimum wage.

[gina32]

thanks, its disgusting thats only just over �10 a day, and i thought slave labour was abolished!!

[Pippa68]

She is being paid to train. That can't be bad!

I agree it isn't much, but it is better than nothing. My daughter can't get a job in her required field as there are no apprenticeships available.

[gina32]

she may be being paid to train but she is still working for the boss and is doing things such as colouring which then leaves the trained ones to do more work thus getting themselves and the boss more money, its not as tho you get a reduced rate for having a trainee do your hair cos you dont

[Solarjunkie]

An apprentice I know was getting �60 a week, but it was not considered "pay" as such. Rather, expenses + generous pocket money. He's on a whole lot more now, as a qualifed person!

[Pippa68]

That's how I see it too, Solarjunkie.

There aren't many careers which have the chance for apprenticeships nowadays ~ luckily hairdressing is still available. If there were more around there wouldn't be so many kids dropping out of college through lack of funds.

[gina32]

not many apprenticeships because most employers pay a proper wage as you train and its called on job training plenty of employers do it, could you see british gas paying such a rubbish wage whilst training, they would get slaughtered if they did

[Pippa68]

Actually you do have to have some pretty decent qualifications to work in those careers in the first place. With hairdressing you don't, you get the qualification once training finishes.

My daughter wouldn't mind earning �85 per week for training for her qualifications. As it is she is earning zilch.

[manga]

i have apprentices working for me in my salon. they receive a minimum allowance set by the government as a wage for training.the rest of the wage is used to pay for thier study at college which incorperates theory and practical work leading to a level 3 qualification.the college course is paid for by the government to allow all assesments.all other aspects of entitlements are paid for by myself eg.holidays, courses & clothing allowance.apprentices are not that badly off as tips often make up wages and commission is often paid when trainees begin to take money for the salon. This is a trade where you can always earn money as everyone's hair always needs trimming at some point.

[Sizmond]

I think we are forgetting here what is important. 'This friend' is actually doing something she really wants to do apparently. The wage will increase as she gains more experience.

Apprenticeship pay is rubbish, but as an alternative to university or college it is a top rate rooute. I am at university at the moment, doing something I want to do and instead of getting �85 a week I pay out nearly 4 times that.

It is slave labour and it is harsh, nobody denies that. In an ideal world minimum wage would be ideal but the important thing these days is the piece of paper saying you can do it!