Hollow efforts or productive experiences
Anyone involved in the job market knows of its competitive nature and overwhelming undercurrents. Internships provide an allure for new graduates or students wanting to gain experience and break into a certain industry with little previous experience, even if this means having to work unpaid. Many times, internships can lead into greater job prospects, valuable experience, and can provide great additions to a resume. Yet, unpaid internships have raised many controversies over a spectrum of ethical, legal, and economic issues.
Last year, in a Toronto press conference, the Governor of the Bank of Canada, Stephen Poloz, spoke out about internships as a necessary counter-path to this competitive work force. Poloz argued that, “Having something unpaid on your CV is very worth it, because that’s the one thing you can do to counteract this scarring effect [of competition in the job market]. Get some real-life experience even though you’re discouraged, even if it’s for free”
Poloz’s speech received negative feedback from opposing critics who object to the idea of an unpaid internship. Clare Seaborn, the founder and president of the Canadian Intern Association rebutted, “It’s a complete misunderstanding of our employment and workplace laws in Canada … and it shows a huge devaluing of young people and recent graduates’ abilities in the workplace.”
There are currently laws in Ontario that declare all employees to be permitted minimum wage, except employees who fit under the exclusions of the Employment Standards Act, such as any internship for academic credit in which unpaid internships become legal. Yet in Ontario, there is still an overwhelming amount of non-academic illegal internships, as these laws are only enforced through a complaint-based system. As students eager to gain any experience possible, we would rarely complain if given the chance to work, thus, these illegal internships remain in existence.
On top of legal issues, there are socio-economic imbalances that are raised in the internship debate. Unpaid internships privilege those who can afford working for free and they can create challenges for less well-off individuals to access certain industries, and may even exclude promising talent. It is actually less likely for an unpaid intern to get hired upon completion, as when a company invests in its employees they are more likely to provide better training and a permanent position.
Illegal unpaid internships are only one type of internship. There are many internships out there that have very reasonable pay, as well as many legal unpaid internships that can also provide a great start for a career path. The value of internships is relative to one’s chosen path, situation, and other influencing factors. When searching for internships, it is important to consider these factors and deeply research into the chosen internship, as they can be a significant asset and experience – be aware they may also be a simple waste of time.