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Sheffield Uni are advertising a job that pays below the National Living Wage

The university’s website says all pay is “well above” the National Living Wage


The University of Sheffield are advertising a job which pays the National Living Wage, despite public commitments to paying "well above" this.

Currently being advertised across a range of websites including the university's, the role is in the Faculty of Engineering as a Marketing and Communications Apprentice.

The salary is specified in the advertisement as "National Minimum wage", which is £3.70 for apprentices, rising to £7.38 after the first year of an apprenticeship.

Employees under 25 are not entitled to the National Living Wage, which is £7.83, but the University website states that a recent round of pay negotiations "brings our lower pay in line with the current voluntary living wage rate, and well above the government's National Living Wage rate."

Paying an employee the national minimum wage fulfils neither of these criteria.

The job is advertised as lasting for 24 months and leading towards an NVQ Level 4 Business Administration qualification.

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The successful applicant will become part of a team "responsible for a number of projects and initiatives that benefit all departments in the Faculty and the wider university."

A page on the university website states that measures taken after the 2017/2018 pay negotiations "[bring] our lower pay rate…well above the government's National Living Wage rate."

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The job has been described as paying "poverty pay" by one person on Twitter, with another branding it "disgraceful".

The University of Sheffield have been approached for comment.