The Cost of Unpaid Internships

Although most would agree that paid internships are better than unpaid, many argue that the experience a student gains during an unpaid internship makes it worth it. In fact a recent article in my local paper stated, "Unfortunately, we cannot pay our interns, but we can offer a great life-enhancing experience, in addition, an internship is a tremendous asset on your resume." (1) Design students are lured in with such promises along with the added bonus of creating professional work for their portfolio.The Economic Policy Institute offers a different view in an article entitled, "Unpaid Internships: A Scourge on the Labor Market." The article makes the point that not only are students denied compensation, the loss of associated Social Security taxes, unemployment taxes, or worker’s compensation premiums deprives these funds of needed revenue. Despite the implication of these tax losses nationwide, the federal government has failed to investigate and enforce laws against unpaid internships. Furthermore, as the unemployment rate has risen, so has the age, education level (many interns these days are professionals), and number of unpaid interns. Ironically, the oversupply of people willing to work for nothing actually damages the career prospects of the students who take them.Research done in 2011 by the National Association of Colleges and Employers shows that unpaid internships do very little for the job prospects of the students who take them. The average student who had taken an unpaid internship in a for-profit firm earned $18,000 less than students with paid internships and $3,700 less than the average student who had never taken an internship. Students who had had paid internships in the federal government received salary offers averaging $48,668; their colleagues with unpaid federal internships were offered only $33,127, on average. (2)What do you think, do you need to re-examine your thoughts about unpaid internships?Notes:(1) http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120604/NEWS/206040330&cid=sitesearch(2) http://www.epi.org/blog/unpaid-internships-scourge-labor-market/Sources: http://www.epi.org/blog/unpaid-internships-scourge-labor-market/ http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/30/opinion/30kamenetz.html?_r=1

Students and pro bono work

"The Role of Graphic Design in Social Awareness," "Issues in Design," and "Can Design Touch Someone's Heart?" are all graphic design courses with the common theme of creating pro bono work (volunteer work done “for the public good”) to teach social responsibility. As AIGA Philadelphia and others are taking a pledge to support paid internships, where does pro bono work done by students fit in? Nonprofit organizations clearly have a need. Organizations like DesigNYC partner designers with nonprofit groups in New York City to create pro bono work on a local level to benefit the city. The Ad Council has been working with volunteers from the advertising and communications industries since 1942 to create public service campaigns to effect positive change in the lives of Americans. Other organizations like Design Global Change have a similar mission, sending students to India and Africa to create design that will effect change and create a better world.Students gain valuable experience designing brand identities, packaging, poster design, and more by working pro bono for nonprofit organizations. They can also fill out their portfolio with "real" work. Is this any different than student internships that are unpaid? If so, why?

Do you think unpaid internships are unfair?

When creative director Florian Bacheda of FB Design was asked "What do you think the biggest ethical issues are that graphic design students can expect to face in their careers?” He responded with the following: “I think the biggest ethical issue will be from a managerial perspective. Some bigger corporations will try to use the recession as an excuse to place more work on the shoulders of fewer people. Creatives in managerial positions that work for these corporations must balance the reasonable requests that some of them make in response to the recession with the ones that are borderline exploitative. The junior designers in the field need to decide if they are being asked to be part of an understandably lean and mean operation, or if they are being taken advantage of.”Bacheda raises an issue that is also being discussed by design educators and practitioners regarding unpaid internships. AIGA Philadelphia has started a movement to support the ethical treatment of professional designers and students in the workplace. They are asking designers to take a pledge to stop posting unpaid internships to their job boards and websites.Students are eager to get "real-world" experience. Design professionals often complain about the skills that design students fresh out of school lack. Education is important, but most designers will attest to the fact that the most critical education they received was on the job. The opportunity for student internships is often a motivating factor when choosing a design school. Is it fair to entirely eliminate the opportunity for unpaid internships? What if during these trying economic times design studios can't afford to pay their interns, won't this limit opportunities available for students?Shel Perkins wrote an informative article entitled "Be Smart about Student Internships" on AIGA's "Center for Practice Management" website. Perkins points out the differences between interns, volunteers, and paid employees and how when set up properly having an intern often results in more time spent training and educating them than work being produced by them, and that this is how it should be. The primary purpose of an internship is the education and training of the student. If a design studio feels they may be asking their intern to do work that does not contribute to their education and training they should pay them at least minimum wage.Perkins' article offers a detailed explanation of the Federal requirements for an internship program. He also talks about the mutual benefits that both students and employers can gain through an internship program that complies with these requirements.What do you think? Are unpaid internships are unfair? Does it make a difference if they are students or professionals?