Students say access to unpaid internships is ‘unfair’ for working class

Students say unpaid and low-paid internships are “unfair” to working-class graduates, as a new study shows these opportunities increasingly favor those from middle-class backgrounds.

Research from the Sutton Trust, a social mobility charity, says the gap between the two demographics is widening – with employers continuing to underpay interns and passing on opportunities to family and friends rather than advertising.

The survey of more than 1,200 recent graduates shows half have done internships, an increase of 12% since 2018, but the gap between working-class and middle-class graduates in that time has widened from 12% to 20%. Has increased to.

Speaking to the BBC, one student says she had to turn down “potentially amazing” opportunities because she wasn’t able to work for free.

Erin Cruikshank, 20, said one of them was an unpaid internship in London last summer that she ultimately turned down.

The cost of living in the capital – where she had no family or friends to stay – would have left her “worse off”, she said.

The 20-year-old man, from West Lothian, described the situation as “unjust and unfair”.

Unpaid “or incorrectly paid” positions are common, Erin said, and many occur in “affluent areas” such as London.

She added, “I had to turn down experiences – which were potentially wonderful – because I couldn’t live in London to have them.”

The Sutton Trust said the proportion of working-class graduates completing internships is now 36%, while the proportion of their middle-class peers is 55%.

Its research showed that graduates in London were significantly more likely to land an internship than in the West Midlands, Yorkshire, Scotland and Wales.

Studies indicate that approximately three-fifths of internships undertaken by recent graduates were unpaid or underpaid.

French and Social Anthropology student Erin decided to take up a paid position at a charity in Edinburgh for the summer, rather than an unpaid role.

She said: “For other people who are looking for a bigger internship – from their perspective, maybe it wasn’t the best option. But for me it was… I had a great experience.”

Because she often funds her own accommodation at the University of St Andrews, she only applies for paid positions. She is currently working abroad in France for a year.

“If that means I’m not taking on experiences that other people might consider big names or big business, I’m taking on experiences that I know will still expand my skills and “Will help me take steps towards my future.”

Research by the Sutton Trust found that in many cases, people doing unpaid internships were able to do so because they received money from parents, lived at home or with family or friends, or had access to savings .

Chiara McLoughlin, a fourth-year law student at the University of Glasgow, said many people’s decision was “balancing whether you want to gain experience in the industry you want to work in, or if you have money for food”. .

“There is no freedom in accepting unpaid positions,” he said.

From his experience in the law industry, he said that paid internships were “rare” and that “to get any early work experience in law, it is expected that you will not get paid for it”.

Research from the Sutton Trust also found that people were almost twice as likely to get an internship at an organization through family and friends than through an advertisement, which further contributes to widening the access gap.

“If I were trying to get experience in corporate law or some type of law firm, it seems difficult to even get there if you don’t know anyone there,” agreed Chiara.

“I’m the first person in my family to go to university and I don’t really have any family connections, or anyone in my social circle, who is in the industry.”

on the part of ‘Work Pay’ Scheme Released before the election, Labor said it wanted to ban unpaid internships, except those that are part of an education or training course. Details of when this will happen have not been confirmed.