Apprenticeships pay quite well, knowing which ones pay the most is important? Does it really matter how much apprenticeships pay.
Over the years apprentice pay has been a top topic, but is it really that important to make sure you start an apprenticeship that pays the most?
Apprenticeships are a form of further education, on the job training, and sometime people forget that. You hear all to often people complaining that they aren’t paid much during their apprenticeship.
Let’s set the record straight. Apprentice employers are required by law to pay a minimum of £4.30 per hour, raising to £4.81 per hour in April 2022, during the apprentices first year of training or if they are under the age of 18yrs. After this apprentice employers are only required to pay inline with the national minimum wage for your age group. In most cases apprentice employers pay much higher.
In-fact the national average for apprentice pay is between £15,000 - £25,000.
You are required by law to stay in further education until you are 18 years old, and you only have a few options, of which apprenticeships are the only option that pays you a wage - earning while learning - whilst you are in further ed.
So, if you stayed on at 6th Form or went to college you wouldn’t earn any wage, but still have to attend full-time education. So does it really mater how much apprenticeships are paying?
It’s not all about the money
Money is obviously important, you want to make sure you are being paid a fair whack for the work you do during your apprenticeship. But remember apprentice employers also have to pay for your apprenticeship training and are investing time and money in to you.
Another key factor to take into account when choosing an apprenticeship, not just what you will be paid during your training but how much could you earn when qualified.
Sometimes this factor is over looked when thinking about starting an apprenticeship.
What is your future earning potential?
How long is a piece of string? Your future earning potential depends of a number of factors such as the demand for your skill sets or whether there is any extra training you can receive after you have completed your apprenticeship.
I recommend visiting other a couple of jobsites and doing a search for the job you want to train to become and see how much they are paying, this will give you an idea of your future earning potential.
