A new report highlights the unfairness of unpaid internships in the UK job market
London: A warning has been sent out to anyone who’s done an unpaid internship. It turns out these internships can really shut out young working-class folks from good jobs. A recent report dives into this issue, showing how it affects job opportunities.
A charity in the UK is pushing to ban unpaid internships lasting four weeks or more. They believe this could help bridge the gap in social mobility. Research from the Sutton Trust shows that middle-class grads often use internships as stepping stones, but many are unpaid or below minimum wage.
Nick Harrison, the Sutton Trust’s chief executive, expressed his shock. He said it’s crazy that many employers still pay interns less than minimum wage or nothing at all. He thinks they should be embarrassed about it.
In a recent poll, over half of recent grads reported doing an internship. That’s a jump of 12% since 2018! Interestingly, grads in London are more likely to have interned compared to those in places like the West Midlands or Wales.
Mr. Harrison also mentioned that the government plans to ban unpaid internships, which he fully supports. He pointed out that not every young person has financial help from their parents. Banning these internships would help level the playing field for everyone.
He added that employers need to do more than just pay interns fairly. They should also make sure they’re reaching a wider range of talent. The Sutton Trust wants all internships to be publicly advertised so that every young person can find and apply for them.
Since 2018, the gap between working-class and middle-class grads in getting internships has grown. It’s now 20 percentage points, up from 12%. Currently, 36% of working-class grads have completed an internship, compared to 55% of their middle-class counterparts.
