Apprentices under the age of 19 and those in their first year of training are only entitled to £5.28 per hour. This means that they cannot afford to take on an apprenticeship unless a young person has supporting parents or can rely on them.
Apprentices are neither employees nor students. Therefore, they do not qualify for the National Minimum Wage because they are not workers and do not qualify for student loans, subsidised travel, or student bank accounts since they are not students.
Parents also lose child benefits and tax benefits since an apprentice, although attending classes and studying for a trade qualification, is no longer considered in school.