Retail Apprentice

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fairdealworld

  • #1
    I'm thinking (well I'm probably almost certainly going to) take on a Retail Apprentice under the government scheme where you get some financial help for doing so.

    Yes I know I'm mad there's no need to tell me!

    I'm struggling with the wage to offer. The legal minimum for an apprentice is £2.60 an hour, it seems very small and I'm told that most employers offer more than this but I haven't come across any specific examples.

    Does anyone have any examples or suggestions. I was wondering about offering the legal minimum for a few weeks with an increase at specific intervals depending on review of performance?

    Lynn
     
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    Fred_the_frog

    Free Member
    Jan 30, 2011
    1,793
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  • #2
    fairdealworld said:
    I'm thinking (well I'm probably almost certainly going to) take on a Retail Apprentice under the government scheme where you get some financial help for doing so.

    Yes I know I'm mad there's no need to tell me!

    I'm struggling with the wage to offer. The legal minimum for an apprentice is £2.60 an hour, it seems very small and I'm told that most employers offer more than this but I haven't come across any specific examples.

    Does anyone have any examples or suggestions. I was wondering about offering the legal minimum for a few weeks with an increase at specific intervals depending on review of performance?

    Lynn
    Click to expand...

    Someone I know is doing an engineering apprenticeship and gets £1000 (before tax) each month.
    They are there 5 days a week from 9-5. That means it's about £6.25 per hour.

    This is Engineering we are talking about, but it gives you an idea :)
     
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    BusinessTeam

  • #3
    Hi,

    The salary is really up to you, it's fine to start on the minimum and increase say after 3 months. With cost of Tavel etc even greater than ever £40-50 ontop of the National minimum will really make your role more attractive.

    Great to see you are supporting the National scheme, an apprentice will really add value to your business.

    Good luck
     
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    David19

    Free Member
    Oct 1, 2011
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  • #4
    It's legalized slavery and a minwage workaround like they have in the US for waiting staff.

    What skills exactly will this apprentice be picking up on this apprenticeship? Hardly anything useful other than working a till which any numpty could do.
     
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    Stevie Wonder

    Free Member
    Mar 5, 2011
    93
    19
  • #7
    I have had a couple of NVQ apprentice employees before. The best thing I find is to start off at the min' wage and offer incentives as they progress. The idea from 'BusinessTeam' is best, treat the first three months as a trial period and move forward from there.

    In response to 'David19', I couldn't disagree more. I even convinced my sister a few years back to start an NVQ rather than a degree course when she left college, now all her friends are graduating with degrees but no jobs, while she has taken the first steps to building a career for herself. She started on the basic salary but has progressed, now just a few short years on she is paid as much as any worker in her place of employment.

    Retail is a skilled trade, but the only way you can learn how to work in a retail setting is to gain experience. These schemes are perfect for this, they get young people in work and gaining experience instead of struggling to find work.
     
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    kelvin1950

  • #10
    David19 said:
    It's legalized slavery and a minwage workaround like they have in the US for waiting staff.

    What skills exactly will this apprentice be picking up on this apprenticeship? Hardly anything useful other than working a till which any numpty could do.
    Click to expand...


    You base this sweeping comment on what, exactly? That you once bought something in a shop and vowed never to do so again because the staff were obviously so inferior to you in intellect?

    You really have no idea whatsoever about working in retail or running a retail business, do you?
     
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    B&H Digital

  • #11
    We have 2 apprentices at the company. It's a great initiative. The salary depends entirely on you (as long as it reaches the minimum apprenticeship wage).

    One of our apprentices is actually a Young Apprenticeship Ambassador, and runs his own online apprenticeship forum, so that's quite exciting too.

    I wish you all the best with your future apprentice :)
     
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    fairdealworld

  • #12
    Thanks all for the very helpful responses well all except one but such an attitude to the multiple and demanding tasks involved in a small retail business is hardly worth responding to :(

    I continue to have my doubts about the official 'scheme' but I think my own business is sufficiently interesting and varied - and my own commitment to training an apprentice sufficiently strong - to overcome any deficiencies.

    On the wage front on the advice given I'll be offering the minimum - or just above - but with built in reviews and increases according to progress.

    Your responses have helped me to realise that my fear that by offering a better start wage I might end up with someone who would work (or whose family or the job centre might push them into working) for a reasonable amount above the basic apprentice wage but who would not have the ambition to benefit from the apprenticeship. Although I'm going to be as much a novice in this as the apprentice, I'm determined that it will be a good experience for someone who wants to benefit from it.

    And yes I will indeed report back as things go along. Thanks again,

    Lynn
     
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