34 replies to this topic

[JustSteve]

The short explanation is that I went for a job interview for an apprenticeship about 8 months ago. because I already had the level 1 NVQ it would be a years course.. £2.60 to start but it was ''good pay after that''. I found the position through an agency, so technically it's the agency's responsibility to ensure I get the training and to pay me. Because of the position, I would not have to go to the college because they would come to me... I got the job and decided I could manage for a year.

I have four parties here- Me, the company I work for (Cough free labour), the college and the agency. To make things even more difficult I have two boss'.


I've now been working there for 6 months. After a few weeks I had no training so asked one of my bosses and the agency, who assured me that the academic year hadn't started and neither would any training. weeks passed and nothing... I kept asking and nothing happened... The bosses told me to contact the agency, the agency told me to contact the boss'.

I have now found out that I'm on no course at all. I've been told I will be starting a new apprenticeship NEXT year, 15 MONTHS after getting the role.



They tell me I'm 'the apprentice' and I only deserve £2.60 an hour, which apparently is a lot of money, but because I'm hard working they increased it to £3. I'm having no training and gaining no qualifications, so how can I be an apprentice? 'm 18 so in my mind I'm entitled to £4.98...



Luckily I still live at home and so board is cheap, but still I have to get to work for 6 o'clock in the morning to work 8 1/2 hours and only have about £40 a week after board, to live on.


How can i get a decent pay, and is there any way I can get the money back, that i feel they owe? It will be about £6000 by the time I start an actual course.




If anybody made it to the bottom, thank you. Cheers for any help

[Chance]

Cant help but I can advise you to look for an apprenticship yourself and get rid of the agency

You only need some good GCSE results and a keen interest in whatever you apply for to greatly increase your chances

I did this last year and at 17 I was on 4.50 an hour as an apprentice so 2pound more than they have to pay me, and the first year was full time college but still getting paid

Then the second year it changes to day release and the pay goes up, about a quid in my case, I'm 18 now so earning more than I could with a normal job :)

There are loads of apprenticships out there, www.apprenticships.org.uk is a good place to start

I just applied to ones that suited my interests. Hope this is of some use

[ace01]

I think you need to contact citizens advice. They can advise you on the correct legal position and you can then make your mind up as what you do next.

Unfortunately there are going to be a number of people who will post differing views on here, but most of it will not be based on law or fact. So get yourself an appointment with Citizens Advice and have confidence in what they tell you.

[100ev8]

ACAS

[ukcooper]

Phone a union and ask them, it free and you dont have to be member.

[100ev8]

http://www.acas.org....?articleid=1902

[charie t]

http://www.acas.org....?articleid=1902

I rang them today and what a bunch of chocolate teapots!
I've already done what they suggested

[Cooperman]

The short explanation is that I went for a job interview for an apprenticeship about 8 months ago. because I already had the level 1 NVQ it would be a years course.. £2.60 to start but it was ''good pay after that''. I found the position through an agency, so technically it's the agency's responsibility to ensure I get the training and to pay me. Because of the position, I would not have to go to the college because they would come to me... I got the job and decided I could manage for a year.

I have four parties here- Me, the company I work for (Cough free labour), the college and the agency. To make things even more difficult I have two boss'.


I've now been working there for 6 months. After a few weeks I had no training so asked one of my bosses and the agency, who assured me that the academic year hadn't started and neither would any training. weeks passed and nothing... I kept asking and nothing happened... The bosses told me to contact the agency, the agency told me to contact the boss'.

I have now found out that I'm on no course at all. I've been told I will be starting a new apprenticeship NEXT year, 15 MONTHS after getting the role.



They tell me I'm 'the apprentice' and I only deserve £2.60 an hour, which apparently is a lot of money, but because I'm hard working they increased it to £3. I'm having no training and gaining no qualifications, so how can I be an apprentice? 'm 18 so in my mind I'm entitled to £4.98...



Luckily I still live at home and so board is cheap, but still I have to get to work for 6 o'clock in the morning to work 8 1/2 hours and only have about £40 a week after board, to live on.


How can i get a decent pay, and is there any way I can get the money back, that i feel they owe? It will be about £6000 by the time I start an actual course.




If anybody made it to the bottom, thank you. Cheers for any help

Do you have a contract and if you do with whom is it? Is it with the Agency or the Company?
That is most important and upon the answer will be the correct path to a solution.

[JustSteve]

Do you have a contract and if you do with whom is it? Is it with the Agency or the Company?
That is most important and upon the answer will be the correct path to a solution.

It's with the agency, however, all that the papers say is something along the lines of ''you will already have come to an agreament on wages and the hours you will work'' etc. They actually changed my hours and made me start shifts, without asking or anything, THEN two months later I got a letter asking me to sign that I agread to the change- It went in the re-cycling.

[JustSteve]

I think you need to contact citizens advice. They can advise you on the correct legal position and you can then make your mind up as what you do next.

Unfortunately there are going to be a number of people who will post differing views on here, but most of it will not be based on law or fact. So get yourself an appointment with Citizens Advice and have confidence in what they tell you.

Already tried that. The general number that you have to pay for, said I couldn't connect every time... and the nottinghamshire one was 'busy' all day (open till 2, I called before). There's a thing at my local GP but it's once a fortnight, I'll find out when it is in the morning.

[Ethel]

A contract of employment is a legal requirement, as is the minimum wage, though complicated by apprenticeships. I really don't know anything about how apprenticeships are legislated, but they are surely registered with some authority to avoid the system being abused for cheap labour.

Who actually pays you? Do you get a wage slip, another legal requirement.

The Citizen's advice should make an appointment for you, you could also try your local education authority/further ed college - doubtless they are involved in apprenticeships.

Who's this agency, is it just some private employment set up?

Start making a file of all your dealings on the matter, if you haven't already.



After a bit of Googling,

You should have an "Apprentiship Agreement" this serves as your contract of employment, what does it say about the training you should be getting?

[DeanP]

I'd look for another "apprenticeship" if you feel you aren't getting out of the job what they originally told you. The agency probably aren't doing anything wrong legally, but IMO, if you were my son, I'd be down the agency wanting a firm explanation. I wouldn't want my son being used for cheap labour for anyone.

Edited by DeanP, 23 November 2012 - 05:31 PM.

[JustSteve]

Cant help but I can advise you to look for an apprenticship yourself and get rid of the agency

You only need some good GCSE results and a keen interest in whatever you apply for to greatly increase your chances

There are loads of apprenticships out there, www.apprenticships.org.uk is a good place to start

I think this is what I'll end up doing Chance, but I'm hoping there's a way to get any money out of them that they should of payed me. Also, it says on all these sites that you cant apply for an apprenticeship if you've bailed from one previously.. is there any way that I could have me quiting on some sort of record?

that's the site I found this place on. I have good grades, all A's and B's, but not much luck... I tried to find something suitable for months, I got messed around by one very dodgy place, who ended up changing names and locking the place up.. they also taped all signs up with duct tape etc. I had an interview with a fabrication company, but SNC lost my details and I missed out because of this, and a similar thing happened with derby college too.

[Chance]

Cant help but I can advise you to look for an apprenticship yourself and get rid of the agency

You only need some good GCSE results and a keen interest in whatever you apply for to greatly increase your chances

There are loads of apprenticships out there, www.apprenticships.org.uk is a good place to start

I think this is what I'll end up doing Chance, but I'm hoping there's a way to get any money out of them that they should of payed me. Also, it says on all these sites that you cant apply for an apprenticeship if you've bailed from one previously.. is there any way that I could have me quiting on some sort of record?

that's the site I found this place on. I have good grades, all A's and B's, but not much luck... I tried to find something suitable for months, I got messed around by one very dodgy place, who ended up changing names and locking the place up.. they also taped all signs up with duct tape etc. I had an interview with a fabrication company, but SNC lost my details and I missed out because of this, and a similar thing happened with derby college too.

No idea about leaving one to start another im afraid, sorry mate i suppose if you explained a good company might help you out rather than string you along.

[Mini_Alex]

This is one of the reasons why I am reluctant to look at apprenticeships, the funding the government pays to the company has got in to the wrong hands and is being used as 'cheap labour'. An example of this is I saw an apprenticeship for a bar person... I mean come on you don't need to do an apprenticeship for that sort of job, its just so they can pay you tuppence for long hours gaining no qualifications.

I currently work as a shop assistant and could work 15 hours a week and get paid £90, ok so your not gaining a qualification but what's appealing about apprenticeship that's only paying £3 an hour! you can't live off that!

Like others have said visit the apprenticeship website as I've seen some well paid ones.