Apprentices and the Living Wage

That this House recognises the challenges faced by apprentices, especially at this time of high inflation and a cost of living crisis, notes that four out of five apprentices surveyed by the NUS required additional assistance to cover their living expenses, often resorting to credit cards or personal savings due to their low wages, notes that 64 per cent of apprentices said that their wage did not cover the cost of their energy bills and 59 per cent said it did not comfortably cover their cost of living, further notes that Workpays, a prominent training provider, states that low pay is deterring potential candidates from pursuing apprenticeships, recognises The Withers review which states that low wages are reducing the attractiveness of apprenticeships; further recognises that analysis by FE Week of the Government’s Find an Apprenticeship website revealed that 50 per cent of intermediate level apprenticeships were advertised at the then legal minimum wage of £4.81 per hour; and calls on the Government to support the recommendation of the NUS, the National Society of Apprentices, the TUC and the Government’s own Social Mobility Commission, that apprentices should be paid the Real Living Wage.