Unpaid internships are nothing new; business and academics have had them for years. Most unpaid internships stem from the belief that the intern is getting more out of the experience than the business does.
There are two main types of unpaid internships: academic and open-market unpaid internships. Academic internships are typically for career advancement and could be required for a certain degree. By making them a requirement, it is taking other opportunities from the student, who is now forced to take on an unpaid internship.
While open-market internships are more unregulated and tend to be more of just an opportunity, it is unfair for businesses and academics to expect students to work for free because they are getting experience or knowledge about their careers or degrees. Wanting students to work for free should not be allowed; just because it was done in the past does not mean it is how it should be done.
Open market internships are more difficult than academic because the laws behind them can be murky. Many courts have a “primary beneficiary test” they conduct to determine if an internship should be paid or unpaid, but it really is a case-by-case basis. In 2023, the European Parliament voted to ban open market unpaid internships, while America has made very few plans to ban them.
Along with this, a survey from 2022 conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that women, people of color and first-generation students are more likely to be offered an unpaid internship. White male students are offered most of the paid internships.
Internships are good but not when a person has to work multiple jobs to just survive. Internships are meant for students to gain experience, not for them to be overworked because they are not getting paid. Especially when internships tend to take up as much time as a part-time job. Even students should be paid fairly for the work they are doing.
For many college students, unpaid internships are hard to do because they need the money. While some people have their parents to help support them, many do not. Some end up working multiple jobs or have to turn down the opportunity.
Unpaid internships tend to not lead to jobs, while paid internships more often lead to more job offers and higher salaries. So college students are not being paid and are less likely to find a job with a good salary from unpaid internships; they should not exist.
