Internships: More than a quarter unpaid, survey says

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More than a quarter of graduates have taken an unpaid internship, a survey has suggested.

Most internships in media, fashion and theatre were unpaid, according to the survey from the Sutton Trust – a body that campaigns for social mobility,

The survey received responses from more than 1,000 graduates aged under 29 who had completed an internship.

A bill to ban unpaid internships of more than four weeks will be brought before the House of Commons on Friday.

“Unpaid internships prevent young people from low and moderate-income backgrounds from accessing careers in some of the most desirable sectors such as journalism, fashion, the arts and law,” said Sir Peter Lampl, founder of the Sutton Trust.

“This is a huge social mobility issue. It prevents these young people from getting a foot on the ladder.”

The report also suggested there was confusion among graduates and employers about the current rules governing internships.

At the moment the national minimum wage must be paid to interns who work set hours or are given specific tasks by a manager who overseas how they are done.

But a spokesperson for the Sutton Trust said the guidelines from HMRC leave a grey area, which is why the organisation is pushing for the rules to be tightened up.