A letter from an apprentice to the Low Pay Commission

My name is Susan and I'm part of the leadership team for the National Society of Apprentices.

We represent apprentices across the UK and I'm also here to share a story with you.

The experiences of apprentices across the UK varies wildly but this is mine.

I'm a child of the state. I've been through the system here in England, in my country of birth, Scotland and in France. I went to 19 schools before I was 16.

When I was 17, I was supported by the government to leave a dangerous situation at home and get my first ever flat. I loved my wee studio, even the horrendously vomit yellow couch that I had.

So put yourself in my shoes for a moment.

You are free. The relief and absolute joy that you get to start your life as an adult. You don't have a cooker or a tv but you've got a roof over your head and you're safe.

But you're hungry.

You need money. You can't get into uni or college because instead of studying for exams you were moving house.

You've got an amazing roof over your head that you can starve under.

You don't qualify for most benefits because you're under 18 so it's a long process to apply under exceptional circumstances. It won't put food on your table for another few months at least. You have to pay rent. You need hot water to wash your clothes in the bath because you don't have a washing machine. You need the lights on. You need to get internet to apply for jobs because the local library limits your time on a computer.

But above all, you need food. Every day. Lunch and dinner because breakfast has always been a luxury.

Hunger like this isn't just painful. It's terrifying because you don't know when it will end. You have no where to go and no one to turn to. Without access to benefits you don't even qualify for access to a foodbank.

But you've got this. You will find work. You're committed and passionate. There's lots of jobs out there and you would give your all to any of them.

Except you need to have experience.

And if you don't have experience you need to have qualifications. You go home and you sit in the dark. Tomorrow you will need to sell your phone at a pawnbrokers.

It's pretty depressing right?

17 year olds are seen as teenagers living at home with mum and dad. They aren't really working to survive. They are working to get pocket money. But that isn't true. I was one of 8000 homeless youth across Scotland.

In England that number is estimated at 129 thousand young adults.

Apprenticeships are an amazing opportunity for folks like me. You can get the education you missed out on. You can get the experience you need to be a part of the workforce. You can help the governments to reach their green targets by working in sustainable industries. You can add to the economy by helping close the skills gap. You can bring innovation and energy to an aging workforce. You can give back to the system that saved you.

And for it, at 17 years old, you will be paid £6.40 an hour.

Take a second to think about how much you spend on your monthly food shop.

Do you feel that fear of hunger?

Because you should.

55% of apprentices in the UK cut back on food simply because they can't afford it.

We are not children living in well lit, warm family homes. We are the kids you cared for. We are the young adults trying to find our feet independently and we are going hungry trying to help you.

In July the labour party said it wants to break down the barriers to opportunity for every child, at every stage and shatter the class ceiling.

To provide high quality pathways onto apprenticeships.

Why should I care about the path you can provide when I will go hungry while walking it?

Give us a promise to care about that.

Help us get a fair living wage for fair work for ALL apprentices.

Eating isn’t optional.

We need a living wage now