06.10.14
Cable to announce pay rise for apprentices
Business secretary Vince Cable is to announce a £1.06 an hour pay rise for the lowest paid apprentices in his speech to the Lib Dems’ party conference in Glasgow today.
The change is backed by Conservatives and could come into effect next October if backed by regulators.
Cable will write to the Low Pay Commission recommending that the apprentice rate of the minimum wage and the 16/17-year-old rate are combined.
Most apprentices already earn more than the minimum wage but about 31,000 people are expected to benefit from the move, with their hourly rate going up from £2.73 to £3.79.
The business secretary hopes the move will encourage more young people to take up an apprenticeship.
He said: “The National Minimum Wage has successfully protected the incomes and jobs of the lowest paid workers in the UK. This year it will see the first above inflation rise in the minimum wage since the recession.
“Thanks to the Lib Dems, apprenticeships are helping to create a stronger economy and opportunities for young people. I want the minimum pay for apprentices boosted by £1 an hour.”
(Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire)
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