The government has announced a consultation on a new flexi-job apprenticeship scheme involving apprentices experiencing their employment and training with a number of different employers.

A TUC blog has set out a number of concerns about the higher risks of exploitation of apprentices on such schemes unless there are clear safeguards in place to secure quality training and decent pay and conditions. The TUC is calling for a requirement that the design and regulation of any new scheme must be agreed by employers and trade unions in the relevant sector beforehand and closely monitored on a regular basis to safeguard high quality training, decent pay and conditions and health and safety standards, and a proactive approach on equality and diversity.

Kevin Rowan, Head of Organisation, Services and Skills:

Many young people are already deterred from pursuing an apprenticeship by low pay and poor treatment and a flexi-job scheme will only exacerbate these concerns. It is essential that any such scheme is only used in circumstances where there is a genuine barrier to employers directly recruiting apprentices for the full duration of their apprenticeship. There will need to be robust safeguards in place to ensure that these are high quality apprenticeships and that any agencies running these schemes are pursuing the best interests of apprentices and have the clear support of employers and unions in each sector.