What about apprentices?

Apprentices

Living Wage accreditation does not require employers to pay the real Living Wage to apprentices.

Apprenticeships are paid training roles that combine work with significant off the job learning. Statutory apprentice wage rates are set differently from minimum wage rates to reflect the training element and cost of apprenticeships, particularly in the earlier stages where apprentices may spend more time learning than working.

An example of this would be in a sector such as Mechanical and Electrical engineering, where the apprenticeship lasts for four years, apprentices spend substantial time in supervised learning and formal training, and pay is usually set through statutory frameworks.

For these reasons, the real Living Wage does not apply to apprentices, although some accredited employers choose to pay it voluntarily as good practice, in some cases, in line with their particular training model and apprenticeship framework.