Are unpaid internships for graduates a meaningful way to start their careers, or are they just abusing and robbing young people of their money? A debate on this subject has been shaking the UK since the onset of the economic crisis. At the end of 2012, it was even held in the Parliament where a bill to ban advertising of unpaid internships had been proposed. It was submitted by a Labour MP Hazel Blears who argued that internships have become a synonym for working for free which is illegal in the UK. However, the proposal failed.
At the beginning of April, the government asked the British tax authority HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to investigate a group of 100 companies suspected of illegal employment of interns. Intern Aware, an organization which fights for the reform of the system of unpaid internships, pointed out to this fact.
Support for paid internships has recently been expressed also by Monster.com. The job portal has just announced that it will not support advertising of unpaid internships and became the first portal to say out loud that unpaid internships "exploit" unemployed young people. According to the portal, advertisements on unpaid internships only show graduates and employers that working for free is normal.
The current generation of graduates in the UK is experiencing a very uncomfortable period. There are more than 70 candidates on average for each graduate vacancy.
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