Kirklees Together

Our apprentices are all set for a pay increase after the proposal was approved by councillors.

On 20 March Full Council approved our annual Pay Policy, which this year includes an increase in the hourly rate of pay for apprentices from the current £3.70-£7.70 for Year 1 of the apprenticeship and from £4.20-£8.21 for Year 2 of the apprenticeship.

When do the changes come in?

These changes will be introduced from 1 April 2019 and will be paid to all apprentices regardless of their age.

A council officer said:

“As a council we’re committed to making sure Kirklees is a place where everyone can succeed and reach their potential and apprenticeships are a fantastic way of doing that. So it’s only right that we make sure it pays fairly.

We value our young people and want to give them the very best start in their careers. The current minimum wage set nationally for apprentices doesn’t do that. In Kirklees we’re ambitious and we want more for our staff and residents.

As well as paying our apprentices fairly, we also provide significant investment in developing them to be the best citizens they can be. Our unique personal development programme helps apprentices to develop, stretch and reflect on their thinking and skills so that they can make a rich contribution to wider society as citizens of Kirklees as well as being able to build a successful career.

I would encourage our young people to strongly consider an apprenticeship as an option. The university or higher education route is not the right path for everyone and the high quality apprenticeships we offer, in a large number of different professions, are a fantastic alternative.”

Want to become an apprentice?

To learn more about apprenticeships with Kirklees Council, visit our website.