Apprentices can be furloughed in the same way as other employees (providing they were on your PAYE payroll on or before 19 March 2020) and they can continue to train whist furloughed.

However, businesses must pay their Apprentices at least the Apprenticeship Minimum Wage/National Living Wage/National Minimum Wage (AMW/NLW/NMW) as appropriate for all the time they spend training. This means you must cover any shortfall between the amount you can claim for their wages through this scheme and their appropriate minimum wage. There’s guidance on apprentice training and COVID-19 here: apprenticeship learning arrangements because of COVID-19.

As with all furloughed staff, you cannot ask your employee to do any work that makes money for your organisation or provides services for your business; they have the same rights as when they are employed. Read more