Interns, for companies, are just the gifts that keep on giving. Because they are aspects of the labor market that come with none of the financial implications. They don’t get salaries, they’re not covered by insurance, and taking care of them can even be considered as tax write-offs. Imagine having people who will come to work for you for a period of time, all for free. And what do they get in return? Knowledge.
And when you think about it, the premise is quite sound. They are coming to learn, and to an extent, they should even be the ones to pay. That’s why in the apprentice system, the apprentice pays their teachers to teach them, even though they will be performing free labor for the person they’re learning from. But that will simply be the price to pay for acquiring knowledge. There is no two ways about this.
So, interning at a company places you right in the center of your chosen industry, you get to work in a real scenario, get a feel of the environment, and know how things work. That’s how serious these things are. But then, it’s not all flowers and roses, because the interns are humans as well. They’ll have to eat, drink, and even more importantly, they’ll have to consider logistics. Transporting themselves from their homes to the company they’re interning at will not be easy, and also be capital-intensive.
So yeah, while they’re not being paid salaries or considered to be real staff, they should be given allowances to enable them to always be active. Interns are not bound by the same rules that bind staff, interns don’t have to turn up every day, they can’t get fired or sacked for things that a normal staff member would. In the same way, they don’t get all the sweet benefits either that a staff would enjoy, but still… they need that allowance. It doesn’t have to be up to the minimum wage, it should just be enough to make sure that they have enough to leave the house and get back to it every single day.
Yeah, the company will be helping the interns, probably more than the interns will be helping them, but I can say for a fact that the allowance will surely go a long way in motivating the interns and keeping them active and happy.
And maybe, the government should revisit some of the policies and requirements that companies have to meet to be able to get interns, because at this point, it is clear as day that some companies don’t even deserve that privilege. Interns who go there basically become slaves and don’t really learn much. The deal should be that if you’re not willing to take the time to teach and help them grow, then it’s no point taking them in, right?
Well, I just believe that we can do better.
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