A POLITICIAN has raised concerns that the Island’s new minimum wage and the removal of the training wage could be hampering young Islanders’ chances of getting an apprenticeship.
Deputy Hilary Jeune highlighted the case of an 18-year-old who she said had applied to 31 companies for a traineeship without success.
Feedback given by the businesses highlighted the introduction of Jersey’s new minimum wage and “getting rid” of the training wage, she said.
The Island’s minimum wage rose to £13 an hour in April this year, which the government has described as the “first step” towards aligning the minimum wage with a “living wage”, which also considers the cost of living. The rate will be set at two-thirds of the 2024 median wage from next year.
Deputy Jeune asked Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham in the States this week how he would encourage companies to take on young Islanders as apprentices.
Deputy Farnham said there had been a “great deal” of conversation with businesses and he highlighted a £20 million support scheme the government announced previously to support employers through the transition.
The Chief Minister admitted he was “disappointed” that the previous government had removed the training rate – a move which followed a proposition by Deputy Max Andrews – but he added that there had been a “very good and democratic” discussion around the Council of Ministers table and ministers were “strongly supportive” of the current position.
Deputy Farnham said: “What we do have is support of mentorships. But the difference is now businesses will actually have to provide evidence with proper training, rather than taking on a junior person and giving them, if you like, an accredited training on the job, which can be can be valuable as well. That’s the difference.
“So there is support, and the conversations will continue through the Economy Department and Jersey Business, but we’re mindful of the challenges businesses are facing now in the move to the new minimum wage over the next two years.”
Deputy Farnham added that while it was “difficult to comment” on a single case, it sounded “extremely disappointing” for the young Islander.
He said that Jersey generally had good level of employment but that politicians needed to realise that it was “challenging”, especially for certain sectors.
Deputy Farnham admitted it was a “much greater” commitment for smaller firms.
Many of his peers in the construction industry were working on their own again, he added.
