APPRENTICES face a “postcode lottery” as shock new research shows they are handed wildly different amounts of cash to help train up.
Trainees in Liverpool can get 50 per cent discounts on train season tickets but nothing similar is offered to those in West or South Yorkshire, according to Policy Exchange.
In the West Midlands, apprentices can access discounts on public transport only for their first 16 weeks, compared to one year in London.
Not only is there huge regional disparity, but apprentices are often denied the financial support that young people in education can access, the think tank claimed.
London’s Apprentice Oyster Card is only available to them in the first 12 months, whereas the 18+ student equivalent is valid until the end of a school, college or university course.