Business Secretary Vince Cable has outlined proposals to simplify and boost the national minimum wage for apprentices, making apprenticeships an even more financially attractive route for young people deciding whether to go into full time employment or to earn whilst they learn. Based on the current national minimum wage (NMW) rates for 16 to 17 year olds, the proposal would give around 31,000 apprentices in the first year of their programme a pay rise of more than £1 an hour, rising from £2.73 to £3.79 per hour. The new policy would create a single NMW rate for 16 to 17 year olds and for all apprentices in the first year of their programme. It will also make it easier for employers to understand and comply with minimum wage law, streamlining the number of NMW rates from 4 to 3.

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