Did you know?
More than half of young Aussies (you, or anyone you know) have had at least one unpaid work experience in Australia the last five years.
Unpaid internships include working for free and even sometimes paying money for long periods to work! This comes without any certainty of future job prospects.
America’s National Association of Colleges and Employers undertook a survey in 2014 and discovered that students with unpaid internships faced similar employment prospects as those who had not undertaken an internship at all! However, those with paid internships were 63% more likely to secure a job.
So why are young Aussies choosing to undertake unpaid internships?
Unpaid internships are incredibly common in Australia. This is because Australian businesses place a low value on the economic benefit of internships. A study conducted in 2016 found that around 58% of young Aussies aged 18-29 have participated in at least one unpaid work experience in the last 5 years. So, it is fair to say, that unpaid internships are becoming a pervasive norm in Australia.
Aussie students from particularly disadvantaged backgrounds are the most affected group of unpaid internships. This is because they cannot afford to work for free for long periods of time. This is the shocking reality for many young Aussies.
We believe that many young Aussies are unable to see inequality prevalent in unpaid internships because they are unaware of their rights.
Be an Informed Intern.
Member of The Informed Interns Team