All apprentices get paid. Get in! Or as Alan Partridge would say: “Cash-back!”
The not-so-great news is that the minimum wage for apprentices is £3.90. It’s illegal for a company to pay you anything lower. The training minimum wage applies to all 16-18 year-old apprentices and those aged 19 and over in the first year of their apprenticeship.
Never fear though, most employers tend to pay more than the minimum apprenticeship wage. Also, after the first year of the apprenticeship, people who are aged 19 and over must get paid the full National Minimum Wage for their age group.
The reality is: the more experience you get, the higher your pay will be. As your apprenticeship training progresses, so will your pay. So although your pay may be low to start with, it won’t stay that way. Later on, if you can prove your commitment, skills and value to the company, it is perfectly reasonable to ask for a pay rise. In fact, it’s getting paid while you learn that is one of the real advantages of doing an apprenticeship.
Additionally, if you don’t think you can survive on the apprentice wage, you may be eligible to receive benefits from the government. Consequently, it’s worth finding out what you might be entitled to.