Apprenticeships, genuine or not?

For the last apprentice the government was supposed to give me a £1500 or so to take one on if they were less than 18. I could also pay them slave wages of like £100 per week or something silly. 

I duly did take on an apprentice - a 16 year old - at £15000 per year starting wages and a 4 day week with one day at college, but the fine print said that once the money ran out (the £1500 part), it ran out - and apparently it had run out even before I got that apprentice. 


For my latest apprentice (he's 28), I have to pay the college £600 per year. (And hes on £21000 basic plus benefits such as pensions sick days, holidays, bank holidays and a day off per week to go to school...... etc etc) I could - in theory have taken on two less than 18 years old  for this cost.


I assume the college applies to government for the £9000 per year for him on top of that but I don't know.


Its not really an incentive to take on and train new people into the industry is it?

For the last apprentice the government was supposed to give me a £1500 or so to take one on if they were less than 18. I could also pay them slave wages of like £100 per week or something silly. 

I duly did take on an apprentice - a 16 year old - at £15000 per year starting wages and a 4 day week with one day at college, but the fine print said that once the money ran out (the £1500 part), it ran out - and apparently it had run out even before I got that apprentice. 


For my latest apprentice (he's 28), I have to pay the college £600 per year. (And hes on £21000 basic plus benefits such as pensions sick days, holidays, bank holidays and a day off per week to go to school...... etc etc) I could - in theory have taken on two less than 18 years old  for this cost.


I assume the college applies to government for the £9000 per year for him on top of that but I don't know.


Its not really an incentive to take on and train new people into the industry is it?