Commenting on the
report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and
Internocracy on unpaid internships, Minister for Universities and
Science David Willetts said:
"We will be considering the IPPR report carefully over
the coming weeks.
"Young people have been the biggest victims of the
recession. We are committed to helping them get into work and
realise their ambitions. Internships can contribute to this, but
the exploitation of interns is unacceptable and employment
legislation must not be breached.
"Over the past 12 months, BIS has encouraged employers
to offer graduate internships to help graduates develop their
skills and boost their employment prospects. Over 22,000
internships have been advertised on the Graduate Talent Pool
website, which is now open to 2010 graduates as well as those who
graduated during 2008 and 2009. Nearly two thirds of these
internships have been paid."
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Lucy Bell
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Lucy.Bell@bis.gsi.gov.uk