What is wrong with unpaid internships?

With graduates struggling to enter employment after completing their studies, internships and work experience placements are essential but is it wrong that so many businesses do not pay their interns? Gudrun Limbrick, lead consultant at Word Works, looks at how the Taylor Review and government are trying to change this

There was a time when young people leaving university, with the shine still on their new degree certificate, felt like they could walk into the graduate job of their choosing. However, there are indications that graduate employment is not quite as robust as it once was. One result of this is the practice of asking graduates to work for free to gain experience to get a paid job. While this is not a new practice, the Taylor Review has recently brought the whole issue into sharp focus.

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