Research by the Sutton Trust highlights the systemic inequality in internship opportunities, particularly affecting working-class youth. Many internships, crucial for careers in finance and IT, are unpaid or low-paid, resulting in a reliance on financial support from family, which many working-class students do not have. The study revealed significant disparities in internship participation between socio-economic groups, with calls for a ban on unpaid internships and improved wage enforcement to promote equal access to job opportunities for all graduates, regardless of financial background.
Employers offering unpaid or low-paid internships are blocking working-class and disadvantaged young people from the best career paths, according to new research by the Sutton Trust.
Nick Harrison, the Sutton Trust's chief executive, described it as "shocking" that "many employers still pay interns below the minimum wage, or worse, nothing at all."
A survey of 1,200 recent graduates revealed that 55 per cent of middle-class respondents had undertaken internships, compared with only 36 per cent from working-class families.
The Sutton Trust is urging a ban on unpaid internships of four weeks or more and stricter enforcement of minimum wage laws.
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