<p>I think this is a complicated issue, fraught with unintended consequences. My concern is that the student desiring an unpaid internship will not be able to get one because of the fear of litigation by govt and class action attorneys seeking considerable fees. </p>
<p>Although these jobs may not provide for a meaningful experience, some enterprising and assertive students through the force of their personalities may turn the job into something more than what was initially presented. Also, one shouldn’t discount the contacts and the networking opportunities that may arise from these internships. Finally, although the intern may not be doing meaningful work, it doesn’t mean by observing and talking with people they are not learning something about the industry. </p>
<p>Again, I understand the concern that these students may be taken advantage of, but in this very difficult job environment for college graduates, I would hate to cut off this avenue for the ambitious student who is willing to do whatever it takes to get a foothold in their chosen field.</p>
<p>Good. More jobs for temps or entry-level workers. And students who don’t choose to prove their willingness to do mindless work for free won’t be disadvantaged in their job search to those that drank the Kool-Aid.</p>
<p>I had a minimum wage job when I was 18. The assistant managers would constantly try to convince the gullible that they had to punch out after 8 hours, but if they stayed on afterwards (for free) to “finish the work,” they would have “a better shot” at management positions down the road because they showed their “dedication.” The scam goes on…</p>
<p>When I went to college there were virtually no internships. Somehow we all managed to find jobs, make connections, get in to grad school, etc., and with the extra added attraction of not depriving deserving people of paying jobs. How 'bout that?</p>
<p>It could just be my suspicious mind, but do the universities charge standard tuition for the internship credits? If so, then part of the scam might be avoiding the costs associated with actually running classes; it’s just a matter of handing out the credits.</p>
<p>Yep. At least at my alma mater they did. It’s interesting all the uproar this is getting now. About 18 months ago when I complained about this very thing on CC, I was told it was just part of the education.</p>
<p>Where is the evidence that corporate America is taking advantage of students in unpaid internships in large enough numbers for it to warrant govt regulation or legislation?</p>
<p>That may be true in some places, but I would be careful to make sweeping generalizations. Some colleges seem to have well established internship programs that do benefit their students in a tangible way. (all emphases below are mine)</p>
parent 57, that’s not the issue at all. No one’s talking about new government regulation or legislation. The question is whether the companies employing unpaid interns are in violation of long-standing wage and hour laws. No company can hire you or anyone else for zero wages unless the situation qualifies as an internship under a specifically defined exception. The law has been flouted for years, and it’s about time it was enforced. It’s hardly surprising that employers seek free labor, but it’s truly shameful that academic institutions fail to control the internship process.</p>
<p>If the internships are cost the employees money for no benefit, and the interns aren’t learning anything, then the solution is obvious.</p>
<p>I suspect the truth is that the internships that are a burden for the employer are probably the ones where the interns actually do learn something, while the ones where they don’t learn anything are the ones that actually benefit the employer.</p>
<p>The regs arent’ new…they’re part of the Fair Labor Standards Act which has been around for years. But certain industries/employers will not follow the law and the Dept of Labor cracks down and makes an example of a few…nothing new there either!</p>
<p>D1 had an internship with a NHL team the summer before her senior year. It was unpaid. She ran a community youth outreach program, designed some marketing projects, and helped with some management projects concerning the facility. She was hired immediately upon graduation in 2010 by another team. The benefit was the work experience and making contacts. Unfortunately the expense of living away from home and paying for the credits compounded by a loss of summer earnings really hurt her financially. Thankfully we were able to cover her expenses. It would be very difficult for someone with less resources to get this experience.</p>
<p>Not all internships are managed, let alone controlled, by the schools. Many internships result from personal contacts, especially internships in cities distant from the school. On the other hand, a number of schools are providing financial aid in the form of grants for students to apply to unpaid internship at worthy organizations. </p>
<p>The problems with the unpaid internships are multiple and have a snowball effect on recent graduate students. Jobs that used to be offer opportunities for students to earn their summer expected contributions have been replaced by unpaid positions. Recent graduates are also expected to continue “free” internship or work at lower salaries because of the availability of cheaper or supported labor. </p>
<p>The problems are compounded by the need to have work experience to land the better jobs. Experience gained through internships has become a de facto requirement for many positions. This places an added handicap on students who have to earn money during the summer and cannot afford to work for free. </p>
<p>Fwiw, the hiring of free labor through internships is being branded as a very smart hiring policy by a number of start-ups. Getting five interns for the summer with the promise of ONE job in the distant future is seen as an attractive cost-saving measure. Entrepreneurs are bragging about their success in landing multiple interns without having to hire them later. </p>
<p>This is a practice that has to be curtailed.</p>
<p>Well, just like with min. wage when kids are pushed out of work, now students will be pushed out of valuable internship experiences. It always works so well, when lawyers take their share and others are left with nothing.</p>
<p>/smile. That is what the graduate students who have been considered indentured servants had to do. With little success, if any. The problem with unions is that they serve a corrupted few a lot better than the members.</p>
<p>I was kind of baiting you with that comment, xiggi. But I agree with you that something should be done. The current system benefits the employers and the colleges, but not the students, who lack bargaining power.</p>
<p>I don’t want to stray from the subject at hand, but here is a quote from a recent speech by the General Counsel of the NEA at their convention.</p>
<p>"Despite what some among us would like to believe it is not because of our creative ideas; it is not because of the merit of our positions; it is not because we care about children; and it is not because we have a vision of a great public school for every child.</p>
<p>The NEA and its affiliates are effective advocates because we have power. And we have power because there are more than 3.2 million people who are willing to pay us hundreds of million of dollars in dues each year because they believe that we are the unions that can most effectively represent them; the union that can protect their rights and advance their interests as education employees.This is not to say that the concern of NEA and its affiliates with closing achievement gaps, reducing drop rate rates, improving teacher quality, and the like are unimportant or inappropriate. To the contrary these are the goals that guide the work we do. But they need not and must not be achieved at the expense of due process, employee rights, or collective bargaining. That is simply too high a price to pay."</p>
<p>He is wrong about the willingness of union members to pay dues; in many states members must pay dues to the NEA. Check out this link to see what this union leader has been able to accomplish:</p>