Pay is the first question almost every apprentice and every parent asks, and the answer has two parts: the legal minimum and what employers actually pay.
The legal minimum
Apprentices are employees, so national minimum wage law applies. There is a specific apprentice rate, and it applies if you are under 19, or if you are 19 or over and in the first year of your apprenticeship.
Once you are 19 or over and have completed the first year, you move onto the standard national minimum wage or national living wage band for your age. That step up is automatic and it is a legal entitlement, so check your payslip when you reach it.
Rates are reviewed annually and normally change in April, so always confirm the current figure on the official government pay rates page before agreeing terms.
What employers actually pay
Plenty of Northern Ireland employers pay above the apprentice minimum, particularly in trades where competition for apprentices is strong, and in engineering, construction and motor vehicle. It is common for pay to rise at set points as you complete each stage of the framework rather than only at the annual review.
When you are comparing offers, look at the whole package: hourly rate, whether training time is paid, overtime availability, tool or PPE allowances, travel support and whether the employer covers course costs.
Do you get paid for training time?
Yes. Time spent on off the job training that forms part of the apprenticeship counts as working time and must be paid. That includes day release at a training centre.
Holiday, pension and other rights
Apprentices get the same statutory entitlements as other employees: paid annual leave, rest breaks, protection from unlawful deduction of wages and pension auto enrolment once the qualifying conditions are met.
How pay grows after the apprenticeship
The point of an apprenticeship is the qualified rate at the end. In most trades, the difference between apprentice pay and qualified pay is substantial, and the qualification is portable across employers. Take the long view rather than comparing the first year against a job with no qualification attached.
Getting started
Rutledge delivers apprenticeships across a wide range of frameworks in Northern Ireland and works with employers who take on apprentices every year. Browse the trades, or speak to your local branch about which employers are recruiting now.