Following on from publication of its Trainee Minimum Wage Impact Survey, the Jersey Chamber of Commerce has thanked the Minister for Social Security for listening to businesses and bringing back trainee minimum wage rates.
The new rates will apply from 1 September 2025, for trainees who begin a new job for which there is an approved training programme. The new rates will be:
- Year 1 – £10.50 per hour
- Year 2 – £11.75 per hour
Trainees who have already commenced a job and are on an approved training programme will continue to receive the main minimum wage of £13.00 per hour.
The Jersey Chamber of Commerce survey highlighted significant concern among local employers and urged the Government to rethink this policy.
79 organisations, representing a wide range of industries, responded to the survey with 55 reporting a negative impact on their ability or willingness to employ trainees or apprentices. A clear majority – 57 respondents – said their business would benefit if the trainee wage rate was reinstated.
Sharing its findings with the Minister and other policymakers, the Chamber said it showed there was widespread concern among businesses with the potential for a long-term impact on skills development and youth employment.
In welcoming the changes, the Jersey Chamber of Commerce said: “There will be relief among small businesses who were faced with increased wage costs for trainees and it would also mean that employers would feel confident in offering entry-level opportunities for young people and those with no prior experience.”
