Union reps boost apprenticeship numbers - and their pay
28/6/2010
Almost two-thirds of union reps are encouraging their employer to take on apprenticeships and half have negotiated learning agreements which include apprenticeships at their workplace.
The survey by unionlearn, the TUC's learning and skills organisation, of union learning reps, members and health and safety reps also shows that two-thirds have negotiated pay agreements which include apprentices and more than half have negotiated health and safety issues.
The coalition government has said that it will re-direct £150 of Train to Gain, the work-based training fund, to create 50,000 new apprenticeships. In a speech in London last week, John Hayes, minister of state for further education, skills and lifelong learning, said: "The apprenticeships model is not only work-based, but work-focused. It passes on the practical skills needed to do a particular job in a way that is widely appreciated and understood. The evidence also shows that apprenticeships add more to a person's earning-power than any other form of practical training."
Of the 55 reps who responded to the question "On average, how much are apprentices paid in your workplace?", only 3 reported that their employers were paying the £95 per week minimum. One union rep for an engineering firm reported that the apprentice rate was £10,000, increased to £25,500 on completion, one council pays 10 per cent less that the going rate, but guaranteed a job on completion and in one case the apprentice was paid £16,500.
The reps, from wide range of unions and working for private and public sector employers, said that they were mentoring apprentices, giving them advice and support, supervising their training and have represented them in disciplinary and grievance proceedings.
One rep working in adult learning for a council in the north east said: "I work with 16 to 19 year olds and have been getting them into apprenticeships and I have been working with some small businesses in the area to take them on."
One union learning rep working for the NHS, said: "As ULR chair I have encouraged other ULRs to develop their knowledge about apprentices, so they can offer support, advice and help them understand their rights."
One rep working for a company in the south west said: "I represent our apprentices, mentor them and generally look after their well-being."
One rep working for a city council in the north east, said: "I have brought back craft apprenticeships to the authority after 18 years."
Unionlearn runs courses for reps on Apprenticeship Awareness and Mentoring Apprentices. It has also published an Apprenticeships Toolkit . It works with the National Apprenticeship Service to promote apprenticeships.
Scarlet Harris, unionlearn's apprenticeships policy & campaigns officer, said: "I'm delighted that this survey confirms what we knew all along: union reps are working hard to encourage their employers to take on new apprentices and to support apprentices in the workplace. It's also heartening to hear that the £95 minimum rate is the exception to the rule and that apprentices in unionised workplaces are likely to receive significantly more money.
"If the growth in apprenticeships is to be sustained under the new coalition government, it is essential that unions are involved to ensure that these apprenticeships are high quality, fairly paid and are not substituting for existing, better paid jobs."
