Apprenticeships... abit of legal advice wanted...

locutus12 · 20 Feb 2006 at 21:26

theres an apprenticeship scheme going with a company here in coventry (where the elderly come to die) thats right up my street, training you on the job over 2 years to become digital network technicians, ICT technicians or telecoms engineers, it sounds perfect and ive been waiting for them to open the applications up, well they are now open... but they wont accept me.

ive got my 5 GCSE`s (infact i have more than 5) i have a proven background in maths and I.T. (i was a network technician, and i have worked with home build systems for over 9 years including references from systems ive fixed in oaklahoma, georgia, florida and new jersey via remote desktop, as well as being a finance officer for the midlands branch of the largest HIV charity in europe)

ive got an NVQ in business admin... ive got my work history as ive just laid out for you... so why wont they let me on it you ask???

im too old! im 23 for ***** sakes! surely they are not allowed to do this??? otherwise possibly my last hope for a career of some kind dies here, i may as well just give up and go work in mcdonalds.

mleh · 20 Feb 2006 at 21:29

They actually told you that they havent taken you on because of your age?

Kind of ironic, it being an old peoples home..

Glaucus · 20 Feb 2006 at 21:31

well netwrokrail has a limit of 19 on there apprentaship, but no age on there sponsored uni courses, can't apply till september though.

zain · 20 Feb 2006 at 21:32

Suppose you could talk about Age discrimination which is part of the damn forgot the name Employment Discrimination act?, but they may have some justification why they have this preference. Read up on it, saying "I have rights" wont help

ste_bla · 20 Feb 2006 at 21:47

age discrimination isnt illegal

Also if they get someone less than 21 they can pay less wages (£4.10 iirc)

Hedge · 20 Feb 2006 at 21:58

apprentices are rarely over 18 when starting. at your age you will be more demanding and cost them more in wages

homerio · 20 Feb 2006 at 22:00

There are no laws relating to age discrimination. The only way you can base a legal challenge based on age is if you can somehow tie it in with sex discrimination, ie a job that asks for applicants between the ages of 20-30 has successfully been appealed against in the past as some lady said it was discrimatory as that was good baby making age.

zain · 20 Feb 2006 at 22:16

Yer youre right, its Sex/Race and Disability and age not in it

alexakasloth · 20 Feb 2006 at 22:17

ste_bla said:
age discrimination isnt illegal

Also if they get someone less than 21 they can pay less wages (£4.10 iirc)

I thought with apprenticeships it was lower because they're teaching you.

locutus12 · 20 Feb 2006 at 23:23

Hedge said:
apprentices are rarely over 18 when starting. at your age you will be more demanding and cost them more in wages

the wage is 9k a year regardless, half of what i was on as a finance officer but unlike many people i really couldnt give 2 hoots about money so long as i like the job.

for example, if the condition was that i worked for a grand less than everyone else, i would still accept it.

djbenjo · 20 Feb 2006 at 23:29

I wanted to do an apprenticeship as a Mechanical Engineer, at 19 they blankly refused.

Get over it. At your age you would be too old to join the RAF as a pilot, the entry conditions are that you complete the application process at 23.5 - would you start thinking about legal action against them too? :confused:

Pigeon · 20 Feb 2006 at 23:33

the money from the government finishes at 21 for apprenticeships I think, and then thats at less money than the employer would get for an 18 year old.

It works out just great for people like us who have been working and trying to get trained . It wouldn't be so bad if my employer gave a stuff as well but they don't.

DaveyD · 20 Feb 2006 at 23:36

From:
http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/l...=NoModifyGuest#amieligibleforanapprenticeship
Looks like you should have at least been considered, but I'm guessing ideal apprentices should be <22 if it's a 2 year course.

Like people have said, I don't think you're going to be able to do anything about then refusing you because of your age, as though agism is going to become a factor soon in law, apprenticeships aren't going to open their doors to 45 year olds, as they're usually just geared for younger people only, which they're within their rights as an employer to do I believe.

I may have got some/all of the above wrong, but that's how I understand it.

Dave