DiscoverLife Matters - Separate stories podcastShould we still have unpaid internships or university placements?
Should we still have unpaid internships or university placements?

Should we still have unpaid internships or university placements?

Update: 2025-11-16
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As the school year winds down, many teenagers are about to start the next chapter of their lives – and potential careers.

Whether it's a bit of summer work experience or a mandatory placement for a university degree, unpaid work can often feel like the only way for young people to get a foot in the door.

So how did working for free become the norm? What supports are available? And when does an internship stop being experience, and start looking like exploitation? 

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Should we still have unpaid internships or university placements?

Should we still have unpaid internships or university placements?

Australian Broadcasting Corporation