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Students shun work experience

Monday 19th July 2010

Unpaid labour concerns and lack of local opportunities are putting off students and graduates seeking internships and summer placements.

A survey of students and graduates by the National Council for Work Experience (NCWE) found that 82% were not aware of any schemes in their own region and three out of four (74%) are turned off applying for placements this summer because of fears they would have to work unpaid amid rising levels of student debt.

NCWE director Heather Collier said: "Graduates desperately need some work experience to add to their CV to make them a better prospect for employers, and with rising levels of unemployment this is vital.

"There are a lot of unpaid internships around at the moment, but there are also many paid placements, particularly locally. Work experience continues to be valuable, whether it is paid or not. Ultimately it is down to individuals to decide what their boundaries are to ensure they are not exploited."

Following the poll, the NCWE is now working with university careers advisors and companies to help promote schemes available through its Find Me a Student! initiative.

The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) is one of the institutions the NCWE is supporting. As part of its "Futures" scheme it has secured government funding to place final year students and graduates in paid placements within reputable businesses across the North West.

Collier said: "If living away, it’s tempting to go back home to see friends and family after finishing at university but it may pay dividends to stay this summer to take advantage of any internship schemes that universities may be running with smaller businesses in the area."

Have your say on this story using the comment section below

Mike Jones

View Comments 2 comments

Posted By Nicholas Lakeland - Silverman Sherliker LLP on Monday 19th July 2010 07:04:04
As the training principal in my firm in charge of recruiting new trainee solicitors I can safely say that law students who have shown commitment by obtaining unpaid work experience are the ones we interview because it shows commitment and an appetite for hard work

Posted By George Brown on Monday 19th July 2010 05:04:38
In the current market students should go out of their way to obtain some form of experience. It can be a discussion point at interview, also shows who is a "worker".

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