Employment (Apprenticeship)

[Sunshire]

Hi

 

I would be grateful for some advice on an apprenticeship/employment issue although I'm not sure what forum to start on as the main issue is not with the (former) employer but the negligence of the apprenticeship provider, so please bear with me.

 

Briefly:

My daughter started a one year apprenticeship last Autumn. She struggled with the work and despite receiving no help whatsoever from the apprenticeship provider handed her coursework in by the deadlines. Her last attendance at the college was March with subsequent work all to be done online. There have been a trickle of emails over the past several months between my daughter and the provider and her last coursework was completed and handed in in JULY. This was acknowledged and she received emails after this date saying she would be set more work although this was not forthcoming despite her boss and her chasing.

 

Yesterday she received a letter saying that she had been removed from the course in APRIL although no reason was given.

Her boss contacted the provider today (yes - AUGUST!)to be told the staff dealing with the apprenticeship course had been let go through a restructure and the resulting lack of staff meant they could not deal with the remaining volume of students. They had therefore made an assessment (based on...?when...?) re which students would be likely to pass and chucked the others of the course, one of whom was my daughter without telling her or her employer.

 

The issues are:

- My daughter was immediately let go by her employer today as her contract states she must be on the course to work.

- Neither she (nor her employer) have received written details of when or who made this assessment (given that the course tutors had been sacked in April!) Surely she is entitled to know the reasons for the cessation of her place on the course given they were still planning on setting her coursework in July!

- She has been working and paid the apprenticeship wage for the past three months even though she has apparently not been on the course - should the company therefore be retrospectively paying the difference between that and the minimum wage for the past three months as she has effectively been a normal employee?

- What redress do we have against the UTTER NEGLIGENCE of the apprenticeship provider in failing to inform either my daughter or her employer of the decision in April? Surely she is entitled to some form of written explanation if not some form of compensation - I reiterate, she handed coursework in at the start of July when the college was still in dialogue via email re ongoing work towards a qualification that they have now unceremoniously decided to deny her. At a days notice, she has found herself unemployed without anything to show for almost a years work and no right of appeal. Just dumped!

 

I can't help but feel there must be something we can do as I feel the apprenticeship provider (who have quite frankly been a useless shower of idiots from day 1) should be accountable for their negligence.

 

Can anyone start us off in the right direction please?

 

Many thanks.

[Conniff]

Does her contract actually mention she is engaged as an apprentice ?

 

If it does, she can't be got rid of just like that, there are special rules.

[Sunshire]

It does, yes.

[Emmzzi]

select the appropriate parts of the contract, copy and highlight. Sent to employer and college and suggest you think they may be in breach of the agreement, and request a 3 way meeting.

[steampowered]

That's really shocking. Does your daughter have a contract with the apprenticeship provider?

[Sunshire]

No, only with her employer but the unilateral actions of the provider without any consultation meant her employer would have been in breach of their contract with her, had they kept her on.

[Emmzzi]

so have you requested that 3 way meeting yet?

[Sunshire]

Yes, but the provider hasn't replied.