Apprenticeship minimum wage set for larger rise

The national minimum wage for apprentices will rise from £3.40 per hour to £3.50 – a bigger increase than rates for most other groups – following the autumn statement.

It is higher than most other minimum wage rate increases:

• for 18 to 20 year olds, the increase is from £5.55 per hour to £5.60

• for 16 to 17 year olds – it will go up from £4.00 per hour to £4.05

• for 21 to 24 year olds, it is going up from £6.95 per hour to £7.05

With the government’s pledge to increase apprenticeships, it is good news to see that they will be more attractive to young people looking to ‘earn while they learn’.