The
Department for
Business, Innovation and
Skills has
asked the BCC to publicise the changes that are
being made to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) this
October. Crucially, there are significant changes
to the NMW apprentice rate, which are as
follows:
·
The
exemption from the NMW for apprentices ends on 1st
October 2010.
·
The
exemption will be replaced by a new minimum wage
of £2.50 an hour for all apprentices aged 16 to
18, and for apprentices aged 19 and over in the
first year of their apprenticeship.
·
People
on the current £95 per week minimum will not see a
pay cut if the £2.50 an hour produces a lower
weekly wage. (This protection only applies to
apprentices in England who started their programme
on or before 30 September 2010.)
A
Q&A document on the changes can be found here. | 
