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The voice of Scotland’s vibrant voluntary sector

Published by Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

TFN is published by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6BB. The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Registration number SC003558.

Poll: should unpaid internships be banned?

This poll is almost 6 years old
 

Most internships in retailing, the arts and the media areunpaid, according to a survey from the Sutton Trust - a charity that campaigns for social mobility.

Itsurveyed more than 2,600 graduates aged between 21 and 29.

Thehighest proportions of unpaid internships were found in retail (89%), the arts (86%) and the media (83%).

Thesurvey coincides with a bill to ban unpaid internships of more than four weeks, which will be brought before the House of Commons.

It is clearly a vexed subject– many people say the unpaid work is invaluable experience, but others say it is simply exploitation and its most blatant.

That’s why we’reasking: what do you think? Should unpaid internships be banned?

Vote now and join in the debate by leaving a comment below.

Should unpaid internships be banned?

Yes
75
No
20
Options
Voting in this poll has now closed
 

Comments

0 0
Andrew Lindsay
almost 6 years ago
This is a tough call. I believe that ultimately unpaid internships should be banned. However, only if there is sufficient funding to still provide the same number of internship opportunities for often young people striving to gain experience. I benefited from an unpaid internship in the Scottish Parliament. I worked all week in parliament and also had a weekend job in a restaurant to get an income. It wasn't easy. But my experience during my internship opened numerous doors which ultimately gave me the career i have today. By banning unpaid internships but not providing funding to pay for same number of interns the Scottish Parliament has taken away many opportunities for young people who are not already connected to someone in politics to get vital experience. Interns should be paid, but if you are banning unpaid interns, you have to provide the funding to pay for same amount of interns. Young people need useful, meaningful experience and can offer organisations much in return, its time to invest in them.
0 0
paul
almost 5 years ago
When does a volunteer become an intern?
Commenting is now closed on this post