Paying for internship opportunity is not abuse

According to Wikipedia an internship is a system of on-the-job training for white-collar and professional careers. Internships for professional careers are similar to apprenticeships for trade and vocational jobs. Generally, the internship works as an exchange of services for experience between the student and his or her employer. They can also use an internship to determine if they have an interest in a particular career, create a network of contacts, or gain school credit. Some interns also find permanent, paid employment with the companies in which they interned. Thus, employers also benefit as experienced interns need little or no training when they begin full-time regular employment. An internship may be paid, unpaid or partially paid (in the form of a stipend).

My daughter, a second year student of a four year degree, has to get 480 hours internship credit for her studies. I thought she was planning her year-end internship in Pretoria or Johannesburg. But I got a major surprise! She has secured an eight week internship in New York – yes New York, New York (as Frankie calls it). After springing the surprise on me, I was dealt an even greater shock. She will be working during the months of December 2012 and January 2013 in the Big Apple with NO income. Now, working an internship with no income while staying at home is digestible. Doing this in the US and spending dollars is slightly different. An airline ticket, student visa, accommodation, food, traveling costs, entertainment, etc. adds up to a tidy sum. I felt a lot more relieved when I converted it into dollars – as it is almost nine times less, than in Rands.

I believe that students gain a tremendous amount of experience when working during university breaks. It gives them a taste of the real world. The question is whether not paying a student for an internship is abuse. In SA most students are being paid, even though it may be at a low hourly rate. But in the US, they are frequently not being paid. So you may say “Then let her do it in SA” Of course that is an option, and her and my free choice.

You may wonder what we have decided? Is she flying off into space (at great expense) to broaden her horizons and start working on a global career or is she doing the local scene?

Well you can read between the lines. I am washing cars after work and am keen to be contracted by any business that will benefit from my passion to ensure my daughter gets the best experience possible.

P.S. I will spend Christmas and New Year’s Eve with my daughter in the land of the free and the home of the brave.