By Kate Tucker and Christine Wincentaylo
Unpaid internships and their associated controversies have been brought to light in recent years. Benefits include work experience and exposure with companies that may otherwise be unable to support a student; however, unpaid positions put incredible financial stress on many interns and may only be viable options for those who have other means of accessing financial support to sustain an unpaid position. Less discussed in these debates are the impacts of paid internships, and so today, we are asking why should internships and practicums be paid.
Internships and practicums are work experiences offered to students or trainees, often for a few months or semester.
Some programs may require the completion of practicum terms, such as:
Social work
Nursing
Education
Engineering
Business
Research by Maidment (2003) shared that “62% of social work students experienced placement-related stress due to fieldwork demands and expectations'', and the reality is these numbers are still consistent with the present times. The added stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the increase cost of living across Canada is proving to create far more barriers for students.
Increasingly, university and college programs are encouraging students to complete co-op terms (work terms during their programs) or attain relevant work experience so that they are best prepared for a career in their area of study upon graduation.
In these scenarios, students may complete unpaid work, hidden under the title of practicum or internship, as part of their required education. This often means that students are paying for these work experiences as part of their education through their tuition. Gaining work experience is essential to education, and thus including a work placement as a program requirement is acceptable. However, unpaid work can be consequential for students/trainees and may limit participation. For example, if practicums require long hours (such as matching the shift work schedule of a profession they are working with), students may need help to work paid part-time jobs that they rely on to support them financially throughout the school year. Paid work experience allows students to focus primarily on their work without the burden of unavailable financial resources for their work.
Aside from the financial benefits of paid internships/practicums, other reasons to support paid positions include positive mental health impacts and investment in their work. When students/trainees are paid for their work, they are respected for their value and may find an increased sense of belonging with the team. Compensation proves to students that they are an important part of a unit or working group. Thus they are given an opportunity to be reminded that their work is valuable/they belong there.
In situations where imposter syndrome may be at its peak, paid positions support students in recognizing the positive impact they can have and the appreciation their employers have for another set of helping hands. Further, as students are recognized for their work, they may become more invested in what they do. By investing in students and recognizing their work through compensation, students may be more inclined to return this investment with more inclination to learn and do the best they can as they know that their team values them. Other benefits for paid internships/practicum are numerous and consistent support that fair compensation for learners results in positive impacts for all, students and employers alike.
In doing research for this piece, we have compiled a short list of places that offer or highlight paid positions for practicums and students; feel free to share your own!
InviteHealth is an amazing site that highlights careers and educational pathways in health science. They share paid opportunities (and other incredible resources) regularly!
The Government of Canada (and the various departments within) have plenty of paid student positions available through their Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP) and the Student Work Placement Program.
Paid internships with Ontario Public Services (OPS) offer multiple different internship programs such as:
Ontario Internship Program
Indigenous Internship Program
Internships with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF)
Transportation Technician Initiative (engineering tech graduates)
Paid internships with government:
Paid Internships by Career Edge, which offers a range of internships across Canada.
If you are a student at a postsecondary institution in Canada, check with your school’s experiential learning team. There is often under-utilized funding allocated to faculties or whole institutions to support students in bringing their own funding to a practicum or internship, it is worth asking about!
Extra Resources:
https://cprstoronto.com/2021/06/20/unpaid-internships-affect-us-all/
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1378891.pdf
https://ph.prosple.com/campus/9-reasons-why-internships-should-be-paid
https://vocationaltrainingcentre.com/articles/the-benefit-of-practicums/