The view from the streets: working for nothing

Internships are now accepted as an essential first step into the job market. Graduates often do two or three internships, the majority are unpaid with no job on the cards when they end. Is working for nothing for six months an elitist opportunity for rich kids whose parents can fund them? Are companies abusing free labour? Should internships be regulated or should young people just wise up about what's on offer? WORLDbytes reporters check out the view on the streets of East London.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Worldwrite
• worldbytes
• politics
• equality
• news
• online
• citizen tv
• volunteers
• Internships
• interns anonymous
• jobs
• unpaid work
• university
• graduates
• finance
• debt
• aspirations
• work experience
• employment
• unemployment
• public opinion
• low pay
• career

[MrClarencefern]

@Sarahk150 Valid points. My scepticism about worldbytes had been reinforced by how much they endorse the views of their mentor Daniel Ben-Ami, the title of whose book 'Ferraris For All' says it all. He thinks the world's current crisis is due to capitalism not being aggressive and risky ENOUGH! In denial of the finite resources on this planet, he wants us to produce ourselves to death, so that 'everyone can drive Ferraris'. This makes WB look more yoof-bling than sensible discussion forum, sorry

[Sarahk150]

Interesting point below a shame it is so ignorant and rude. Watching the video it's clear there's a difference between volunteering for something you believe in unpaid a charity or a campaign and working for nothing for a company making big bucks which is never going to give you a job. WORLDbytes is an exemplary voluntary organisation. they make no money from programmes and they are made by volunteers who get free training and want to make a political impact with Citizen TV- Excellent in fact.

[MrClarencefern]

How ironic and ridiculous that WorldBytes have made a mini-documentary that is highly critical of the culture of intern-ships when they are permanently advertising for non-paid volunteers to help make their programmes!

WORLDBYTES ARE A BUNCH OF HYPOCRITES! Tossers

[bom8er1]

Europeans my age are fucking soft pussies,they bitch about everything and think tax payers should pay for it all,great when its other people money your spending which is why when there older and pay taxes they bitch about there kids.

[tomcat624u]

IT LOOKS LIKE MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK GROUND AARE NON WHITES.......

[johnyrate]

OMG, germany seems much better in terms of student/graduate exploitation.

[Vivster68]

I agree with the guy who says graduates, who work for nothing and get nothing in return are victims of their own stupidity. I also think that internships exploit free talent - a generation of graduates expect very little and are getting very little. It shows that our economy is failing miserably, lurching from one useless response to the crisis to the another, whilst not doing anything to actually create more jobs!

[87C0C0]

The main reason for internships is to gain experience after studying and going for your desired future career job. I believe that if you're expected to work for little or no money, then you should be expected to give little or no hours. It’s unfair to be interning full time with no possibility of a job at the end of it and it’s even worse when you turn up for an internship expecting to be given serious tasks to do, but you basically end up being an executive coffee maker…

[undjim]

Why is that if you have rich parents, you can choose the industry and career you want for yourself? It’s more than unfair, it’s a telling reflection of an economy that is just not working for everyone. Neither internships nor education are a solution for a lack of jobs. The solution, surely is to demand and create more jobs!

[marisaspereira]

According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), interns should be paid a minimum training wage of £2.50 an hour. Furthermore, the CIPD suggested that “unpaid internships act as a barrier to social mobility, as students and graduates from less well-off backgrounds may be put off applying”. As such, a ‘training wage’ would improve social mobility by easing access to professional vocations for young people who cannot afford to work for free.