Half of apprentices are concerned about their mental wellbeing, according to a new report published today.

In the report, Apprenticeships: Are we working?, published by the National Society of Apprentices (NSoA), apprentices said that they needed reassurance from employers - and a space to discuss concerns about wellbeing. 

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At the time of the survey, a quarter of apprentices had been furloughed, and 33 per cent of apprentices said that their learning had moved online. However, 16 per cent of training had stopped and 17 per cent said they were doing less learning than normal. Some 27 per cent said that they had received less contact with their training provider.

However, 99 per cent of apprentices said that they were receiving at least 80 per cent of their normal wages. 

A level 3 sales apprentice from the South East said: “I am anxious about returning to work, even with PPE [personal protective equipment] I worry that I could still be at risk of contracting Covid-19. I also worry that there are negative effects of being at home during lockdown whilst being furloughed.”

And a level 3 digital apprentice from London said thinking about the future was “nerve-wracking”. They said: “Even though I understand that the situation we are in now is temporary, thinking about how the pandemic will affect our economy and how we move forward in the future is quite nerve-wracking. As a result, my levels of stress, anxiety, low mood have increased significantly.”

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In response to the findings, the NSoA is calling on the government to make changes to the apprenticeship system. To address the poor mental health and wellbeing of apprentices, the “root causes” of low wages, isolation and loneliness, lack of access to services, poor housing and precarious work must be tackled, it says.

The report recommends that apprentices under the age of 25 should return to a day release model of training and that the government should pay the wages of apprentices on day or block release. 

It also calls for apprenticeships to be extended by two to three years to safeguard apprentices from qualifying and looking for a job when there are very few jobs to apply for. 

Simon Hawthorne, an apprentice and member of the NSoA leadership team, said that apprentices are underpaid, under-appreciated and “kicked to the kerb” without the qualifications and support they were promised.

He said: “Lockdown has been challenging for everyone - we are all in the same storm but not the same boat. We know the entire country has been impacted by the changes to industry, employment and education, but, as is often the case, apprentices are facing the brunt.

“Apprentices are in a unique position, with many of us working in industries that have been closed - unable to train, unable to work towards qualifications and suffering from the financial impact of furlough.

“For most people, 80 per cent of their salary is hard enough to live on - with the apprentice minimum wage being £4.15, we’ve had reports of apprentices left trying to get by on as little as £3.31 an hour (£115 a week).

“Many apprentices have to pay rent and council tax, support their family and feed themselves. Between this, a lack of training availability and employers laying off thousands of employees, apprentices have been given the short shrift. Underpaid, under-appreciated and kicked to the kerb without the qualifications and support they were promised.”

The Department for Education has been approached for comment.