Apprenticeships for the Young are Nothing but Cheap Labour

by Beaulieu | October 17, 2012 at 06:14 am

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The UK Coalition Government is funding a number of Lower Level 'apprenticeships' for minimum wage jobs such as kitchen porters, receptionists and administration assistants, paying young people a pittance of just £2.65 an hour for jobs up to 40 hours a week, far less than the minimum age or Living Wage.

A large number of these 'apprenticeships' are on the Government's website DirectGov. In fact, the Government is going out of their way to recommend them as part of a propaganda campaign to 'get the young working' on slave labour wages.

An apprenticeship could last for up to 18 months.We all know that it wouldn't take that long to train a kitchen porter, for example, even one with little English.

Some of these employers expect their apprentices to have a car. Just how many of them could run a car and pay their bills, on £2.65 an hour? Few even on the minimum wage can afford to run one.

Some farmers are tired of having untrained people that they have to supervise all the time, slowing down their production although they are happy with only paying the bare minimum.

I remember the days when there were 'proper apprenticeships' such as in plumbing, but the Government is now funding 'monopoly apprenticeships' for a Ridiculous Wage. No wonder that some employers are jumping on the bandwagon, they can find someone to pay low wages for as many hours as an experienced person.

Some employers do not have good enough professional skills to train people properly, let alone have the time to do so. Some positions start only in the early hours of the morning and there is no guarantee that another member of staff would be about such as in a small hotel.

A few employers complain that no one is taking up their jobs. It is not surprising. Young people aren't stupid. Some young people feel 'forced to do so'.

In the meantime, these young people are being exploited and there no guarantee of a job at the end of them.

Isn't this yet another thing, the Government hasn't thought through?