Louice Tapper Jansson discusses whether paid and unpaid internships┬áwill pave the way to better earnings. Is it fair that some people simply can’t afford to do unpaid internships? Does this lead to the wealthy getting an upper hand?
Youth unemployment is on the rise, which makes the debate on internships incredibly topical at the moment. Unpaid internship placements allow people with limited experience to ‘get their foot in the door’ of the labour market. On the other hand, it contributes to the ever increasing debt burden of young people, without perhaps adding as much to the credibility or skills of people as paid internships would. Ed Howker, who writes for the Guardian, states that there is a generation of young people in Britain who are eager to work and contribute to society. The issue, however, is to find an employer who is willing to pay a graduate.
Unpaid internships have both advantages and disadvantages. This is clear when going through internsÔÇÖ experiences on the website Interns Anonymous. Many stories reveal that employers often exploit their interns and do not acknowledge them for their work. The purpose of an internship should be to learn how a profession works in practice. Some interns are coerced into tasks that paid employees are expected to do.
A recent study from Inspiring Interns suggests that graduates who have had an unpaid internship usually get a higher wage when going into full-time work. According to their study, someone who is lacking experience would also be paid £1,500 less. Employers value graduates with knowledge of the business. Some people argue that the wage difference is unfair to those who may not be able to afford to take an unpaid internship.
Graduates from wealthy backgrounds can often afford to do unpaid work experience for a longer period of time, since their families are able to support them. Mr Howker seems to believe that because of this, only those born into privilege are likely to do an internship. The less advantaged on the other hand are forced into workfare schemes that they have to do for free. The question is whether only financially secure people would consider working for free.
Having a privileged background does not automatically mean that you will get an internship or experience more easily. Nor does it guarantee a higher paycheck in the future. A salary is supposed to be based on a candidateÔÇÖs experience, education and other qualifications. To reward a graduate with more experience could be justified, although it would mean that graduates are paid differently. One has to consider what it would cost for an employer to train an inexperienced person.
It is, of course, easier to ÔÇÿwork for freeÔÇÖ for a longer period of time if your parents can supply your income but the claim that only wealthy people are doing unpaid internship may not be accurate. Some would probably deem practical experience as valuable enough to temporarily have a tougher standard of living. However, turning paying all interns, if only a small amount, could increase the candidateÔÇÖs motivation to work hard and do well.
If one were to believe the study mentioned earlier, work experience will always benefit oneÔÇÖs career. Most importantly; the degree will become more valuable. Many students seem to be aware of this. The problem, which student journalist Libby Page who writes for The Huffington Post highlights, is that some are concerned about how they are expected to ÔÇÿwork for freeÔÇÖ after graduation when they will not have a student loan to support them.
Taking on an unpaid internship can be a double-edged sword. You could end up at a company where you could gain experience and establish a useful contact network, which could be invaluable in itself. However, some companies systematically use unpaid interns to do the dirty or heavy work, without any interest in helping the interns gain useful knowledge or proper experience. A lot seems to be up to chance ÔÇô if you are lucky, your unpaid internship can give you amazing career opportunities and valuable experience. If you are unlucky, you will be used, demeaned, back at square one and left with nothing but an empty bank account.
Perhaps the discussion concerning unpaid internships should not be concentrated on wage differences between graduates with experience and those without. Instead, focus should be on why so many young people are exploited. Students and graduates work hard to gain experience but find out that this could be difficult to achieve as an intern at a magazine or at a communications bureau. For this reason and also due to the different experiences, to base a salary on internship might not be justified. Although skills should be valued and awarded, one must admit that they are very hard to measure.
A good solution might be to combine internships with university education, hence, to make it a part of a degree rather than complimentary. Employers must realize the benefits of paying interns. According to Canadian Career Edge Organization, to compensate an intern would give the company a better reputation. The employer could also expect a better result.
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