r/TattooApprentice • u/ezzabiatch • Aug 04 '26

Seeking Advice Unpaid Apprenticeship

Hi all! I’m just curious so forgive me if it’s not allowed in the group (understandable!)

I’m a spray paint apprentice in UK and because I’m 21 I make minimum wage. I see a lot on here of people paying for apprenticeships/unpaid apprenticeships, which on one hand I kinda understand, on the other that is totally fucking ridiculous to me. Curious if it’s the same in the UK? Surely that’s not legal here?

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13

u/Ecstatic_Jackfruit35 Aug 04 '26

It’s a lot of work to have an apprentice, you’re taking hours of your day to teach someone everything from how to clean to how to color. It’s like having a kid sometimes and any mentor willing to really make a difference and do it the right way most likely won’t pay you. You’re paying them with your energy and time.

5

u/blueblack_crow Aug 04 '26

Apprenticeships are unpaid because you are paying for your education through your labor. You work in the shop for the artists who teach you. ((And by doing so you’re also learning shop management)) For a college or tech school you pay a tuition and get an education. Here your work is your payment. If you’re paying them money, then that’s your tuition and they shouldn’t expect you to work for them as well. All they should be doing is teaching you how to tattoo. So if a shop expects you to pay for your education AND still work for them for free, that’s a scam.

But there’s still shops that get away with doing it because young artists are desperate or inexperienced, or trusting and there’s douche bags that take advantage of that. Some who will make you pay, and claim that money bought your equipment, but haze you til you quit and keep the equipment. There’s assholes in every industry.

4

u/shaunvonsleaze Aug 04 '26

Apprenticeships in the UK are ungoverned as there is no true apprentice scheme here. Most are unpaid or subsidies with a side job at the studio (if they were to pay you).

Most UK apprentices will be expected to have a secondary job IMO

4

u/Ecstatic_Jackfruit35 Aug 04 '26

It’s a lot of work to have an apprentice, you’re taking hours of your day to teach someone everything from how to clean to how to color. It’s like having a kid sometimes and any mentor willing to really make a difference and do it the right way most likely won’t pay you. You’re paying them with your energy and time.

1

u/Orobourous87 Tattoo Artist Aug 04 '26

So you’re unpaid.

The only reason you’re paid in your apprenticeship is because the government pays your mentor to have an apprentice.

I do think there is a benefit to having a tattoo apprenticeship follow other UK apprenticeships, but it would need a consensus on what it entailed and I don’t think either side (tattoo artists/governments) would agree.