The Greens have called for a minimum wage hike for workers aged under 18.
The party’s deputy leader in England and Wales, Amelia Womack, said the rate should be raised from £4.20 an hour to the £5.90 level set for people aged 18-21.
Womack also called for a living wage boost for apprentices.
She told the Green Party conference: “If we want to build a working environment that is fair for everyone, we have to make things fair from your very first job onwards.
“A fair workplace has to be fair for apprentices as well. So today we are also pledging our official support for a living wage for apprentices. The current minimum wage for apprentices is £3.70 per hour.
“Three quarters of young people polled this year have said that low pay would put them off taking up an apprenticeship.
“It is no wonder that we have a skills shortage in this country. It is time that the political class woke up to the value of investing in training and apprenticeships, to the hardships facing young people today and to the realities of pay inequality in Britain.”