National Apprenticeship Week runs from 9 to 13 March 2015. It's a time to celebrate apprenticeships and the positive impact they have on individuals, businesses and the wider economy.
Many of our employers extend their Living Wage commitment to make sure their apprentices are also paid this too. We asked a handful of talented apprentices to write about what this has meant to them.
Matt Seel, Junior Consultant at Claremont Communications
From Burnley to the big smoke: how the Living Wage boosted my career
In October 2013 I packed my bags and headed off to the bright lights and mean streets of London to start my career in PR with Claremont. It was an adventure that I was eager to be getting on with, but moving from a small town to the big smoke there was one thing constantly on my mind - in London, everything is so expensive so how am I going to afford to live?
Fortunately, the shining light in the dark realm of second jobs was that Claremont pays all employees living wage, including apprentices. This gave me the opportunity to get my own place with a fellow apprentice and fully embrace London living. It also gave me the chance to focus on just one job, rather than having to spend my evenings on the other side of the bar. I was confident that Claremont was an organisation that valued my time and the work that I'd be doing for them over the next year.
There are many ways that organisations can show employees that they value their time, but paying the Living Wage goes a long way. Without the Living Wage the move to London would have been difficult, nigh impossible.
I know it's not possible for every organisation to pay their apprentices the Living Wage, but there are huge benefits to paying apprentices fairly. Not only are you growing your own talent, you are creating a loyal workforce who will mirror your investment through their hard work and loyalty to the organisation.
For us apprentices it's not just about the money, it's about knowing that the work we do is valued and we're an integral part of the team.
Isobel Anderson, Business Management Apprentice, Nationwide Building Society
I feel really lucky to be paid the Living Wage - I know a lot of apprentices in other companies who aren't - so it really makes me feel valued, respected and important, rather than just an inexpensive resource.
If I was being paid the UK's minimum apprentice wage, I would probably have had to pick up an evening or weekend job, which wouldn't have been ideal as that would have meant I'd have to work pretty much all hours allowing me no time to switch off and recharge. Being paid the Living Wage, which is £7.85 per hour, means I can focus on my job, training and career - it means I'm able to have free time and can afford things like running my car which is important.
I understand that often when apprentices start in their jobs they have limited knowledge and experience and therefore can't do the same things that a more experienced employee can do. This means some employers perhaps don't think they can justify paying apprentices the same amount as more experienced employees. However, I believe that everyone in the country should be paid the Living Wage - it's called the 'Living' Wage for a reason and regardless of your skills or experience you should be entitled to earn enough money to have a happy and healthy life.
I also think paying the Living Wage would encourage a wider variety of people to look into apprenticeships. For example, when you're 16 and a student, being paid the minimum apprentice wage is not ideal but it's potentially manageable as your parents may be able to support you. But if you're looking to start a new career as an adult with a home, bills and maybe even children, it is just not possible to manage on an hourly wage of £2.73 - the minimum apprentice wage. It could discourage people who are looking for a career change to make the next step and apply to become an apprentice.
There are lots of reasons why I chose Nationwide's apprenticeship scheme over others on offer and the prospect of being paid the Living Wage was an important one but I had also heard great things about the opportunities, training and support available here too and that was a major factor. I also heard general praise for how the company treats its employees which was something that really appealed to me; a great example of this, of course, is paying everyone - including contractors and agency employees - the Living Wage.
Philip Wampamba, Apprentice Business Administration Assistant (Fundraising) ActionAid UK *(Photo: Philip is the furthest on the right with his fellow apprentices)
'Twenteens' to Twenties'
Every day I wake up content, and every day I go home proud. I work for ActionAid UK, a Living Wage employer that strives to make a real difference to the world - including its employees. Enjoying my work, having more opportunities than I can shake a (very big) stick at and simultaneously admiring and loving the company of my colleagues are some of the privileges I get to enjoy; I won't allow myself to take it for granted.
More than career development, I feel like this apprenticeship has enabled me to grow as a person. The issues I have gained exposure to, the projects I have worked on or seen the results of, the financial responsibility I have been able to take up in my personal life and the people I speak to on a day to day basis have opened my eyes and helped me to grow.
As an innately shy person, the simple things like making small talk in the kitchen, or people trusting me to handle tasks well and being treated like part of the 'family' have done wonders for my self-confidence. Shying away from responsibility used to be a habit of mine, but being able to test my limits in the work environment has helped me to become more ambitious in all aspects of my life.
I could have so easily missed out on this opportunity, if it wasn't for the London Living Wage, because I was forced to ignore several good apprenticeship opportunities that weren't paying enough to be economically feasible (taking into account expenses like transport). I even overlooked opportunities that would have enabled me to chase past dreams of working in the music industry, and thank goodness! I am now financially independent and can afford to enjoy the little things in life, like playing football with my mates or going to the cinema, without feeling guilty about asking to borrow money from friends or family.
Aged 24, 2 months before starting this apprenticeship if you were to ask me if I felt like an adult, I would have honestly told you that the only thing adult about me was my age. Fast-forward 8 months and I feel like I've aged several years, and I love it. I'm closer to the person I'd like to be and I owe it almost completely to this apprenticeship.
I've said this several times, to several people, and I am proud to still be saying it: this apprenticeship has been a perfect storm of the perfect opportunity for me that came at the perfect time in my life, and it's all because of the Living Wage.
Betsey Benson, Apprentice Executive Assistant to the CEO of the young people's health and wellbeing charity, Brook
I'm 19, I'm from Romford in Essex, and I did my A Levels at St Edward's School - I studied History, Sociology, and Government and Politics.
I wanted to learn and work at the same time, and wanted to gain an insight into the working world along with experience that will give my CV a real boost! I've wanted to be an Executive Assistant for a few years now, so when I saw the vacancy at Brook advertised online, I knew I wanted to go for it. Some of my school friends are also apprentices - one works in finance, another as a trainee hairdresser - so I'm far from alone!
I'm learning loads of useful things at Brook and have been given a lot of responsibility right from the start, for example with organising meetings and diaries - it's a lot to take on but I am really enjoying it. The people at Brook are all lovely, and I've had all the help and support I need to help me learn the role and to develop my skills.
Recently I prepared a set of papers for Brook's Board of Trustees - over 200 pages in total. Seeing them all finished gave me a real sense of satisfaction. On my second day here, I went to Parliament to see Simon Blake, Brook's CEO, give evidence to the Education Select Committee, so that was really exciting! I've also had a chance to visit Brook services in Brixton and Milton Keynes, and it's brilliant to see the work we do with young people.
The Living Wage salary definitely played a part in picking Brook as my employer - it was a lot better than some of the salaries offered by other firms taking on apprentices. Now I'm paying for travel costs into central London every day, and paying living costs too, it's really important. I've also just got a baby tortoise called Ed [see photo], and I need to pay for his food and habitat! Ed aside, being paid the Living Wage means I can enjoy London, see my friends, and socialise.
An employer that pays the Living Wage is saying that they value their employees, apprentices included. As employees are every organisation's most valuable resource, I think it says a lot of good things if a charity or a company is a Living Wage employer. It also makes economic as well as ethical sense: if you're constantly stressing about money because you're paid minimum wage, it makes you a less effective employee.