Aphra Brandreth, member of parliament for Chester South and Eddisbury, recently visited Barlows UK ltd to discuss the impact of the increased rate of apprentice pay, along with the increase in national minimum wage for 18–20-year-olds.

Ms Brandreth met with John Barlow MBE and Pauline Elsey, ahead of National Apprenticeships Week, to see the work they are doing to get young people from Cheshire on the job ladder.

The MP emphasised the importance of apprenticeships, as she said: "It was great to meet with John and Pauline at Barlows UK ltd to learn more about their fantastic apprenticeship offering.

"It is of the utmost importance that we offer young people both the skills they need, and vital workplace experience to give them the best possible start in life.

"Through its apprenticeship program, Barlows UK ltd offers many young people in my constituency of Chester South and Eddisbury the chance to gain vital experience in the workplace and learn valuable on the job skills. 

"Many businesses, including Barlows UK ltd, that deploy apprentices along with qualified staff on jobs, are unable to charge clients, as they won't pay for people that are learning on the job.

"Meaning many businesses are not profiting from employing apprentices.

"The recent announcement in the Budget to increase the apprentice rate of pay by 18% and the national minimum wage for 18–20-year-olds by 16.3%, will only result in far fewer apprentices being employed.

"I am committed to ensuring our young people get the best opportunities in life, and I will work with John and Pauline to hold the Government to account as well as encouraging the Government to reverse its decision".

John Barlow MBE, managing director of Barlows UK ltd, said: "We currently employ over 210 apprentices within our business of over 700 employees.

"I met with Aphra Brandreth to voice my concerns about the increased costs of employing apprentices enforced in the last budget.

"These additional costs from April 2025 will have a significant impact on our business and will mean that we will be unable to employ the same number of apprentices each year.

"We have built our business on the foundation of our apprenticeship scheme, something we are extremely proud of.

"With the increased costs, I really worry about the future of our Industry."