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Firms Relabelling Low-Skilled Jobs As Apprenticeships, Says Report (bbc.com)

Fast food giants, coffee shops and retailers are relabelling low-skilled jobs as apprenticeships and gaining subsidies for training, a report says. BBC: The study by centre-right think tank Reform says many firms have rebranded existing roles after being obliged to contribute cash to on-the-job training. It adds that 40% of government-approved apprenticeship standards do not meet a traditional definition of them. The government says "quality" is at the heart of its apprenticeship reforms. As part of the changes, it introduced an apprenticeship levy on organisations paying more than $4.3m in salaries a year. They have to pay 0.5% of their wages total into a "digital account" held by HMRC. They then "spend" these contributions on apprenticeship training delivered by registered providers. They can also get back up to 90% of the cost of training. But they are also entitled to pay apprentices lower than the standard minimum wage.

4 of 58 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Firms: Evil by default? by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 3, Insightful

    In any case I would like a no-compromise complete-fairness-for-everyone solution, and can'd find any.

    Instead of whining that it doesn't exist, why don't you create it yourself? Go start a company that pays above market wages, charges below market prices, and spends nothing on any advertising that may annoy someone. Then please come back here and tell us how it worked out. Good luck.

  2. Re:A Uniquely English Problem by bugs2squash · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The term apprenticeship carries with it the connotation of being a structured hands-on learning period after which the former apprentice could expect to enter a well paying trade, like plumber or electrician. An alternative to a university degree, but usually accompanied by some kind of community-college style education.

    This sounds to me like a once proud word being stripped of its value to defraud the young and make the government look like they are training the next generation. Who can blame businesses for taking advantage of the process, this would never happen in Germany

    --
    Nullius in verba
  3. The Guardian has insight on this by wonkavader · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is old enough news that the backlash against this has already hit print media.

    The Guardian print version is here:
    https://www.theguardian.com/ne...
    Or if you prefer the same content as a podcast, it's here:
    https://www.theguardian.com/ne...

    Since this is England, the whole thing directly relates to class. Upper-class (or perhaps the Brits call that 'Middle-class') jobs essentially require a an internship now before you can get a real job. Finishing an internship means being able to afford to live with no paycheck in London for six months. This means only the wealthy can afford to have an internship. This locks the educated non-wealthy out of the higher-class professions.

    So this is not about serfdom -- a path with no escape. It's about making people pay for jobs. You have to BUY your job. (LIke you'd BUY a commission in the army in a Jane Austin novel.) And if you cannot afford to buy your job, you're the wrong sort of person for work here anyhow. Nudge nudge wink wink.

  4. Re:Firms: Evil by default? by Billly+Gates · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Here is the deal. No work experience NO JOB!! No references NO JOB! No one gives a shit about your fancy piece of paper called a degree. ... also if it is not profitable to pay someone money for a job not needed also NO JOB! The joke on reddit is to become a system administrator you first have to become a system administrator! How do you get that? By working for free and taking low wage shit contract jobs to build up your resume, references, and reputation. Then you can tell an employer to fuck themselves if they try to short you. But if you have no job then there is nothing you can do.

    Firms are not evil. They are like you. They only pay for things they want and if they can get it done cheaper they will just like if you for anything you want to buy. That is bad news. The good news is the FreeMarket can work in your favor if you have experience and a skill. Economics 101 dictates that you can't equal all jobs minimum wage. Someone will always pay more for a skilled worker they need more than their present employer.

    To be a developer you first have to work for free. THen work for 4 weeks for $100 on an ad for craigslist while you work at the mall with the highschoolers. The next job you get it done in 2 weeks for another $100 and so on. THen you temp for $20/hr. ...3 years later you bill $70,000 a year. 10 years later $150,000 a year.

    I am in favor of more apprenticeships and got into a debate last week on LinkedIN. The reason these poor millennials are living with their parents is they were too good to flip burgers and do free internships over the summer while at college. Guess who got the jobs upon graduation? The ones who had references of course.