by Belinda ChenWould you be willing to work long hours doing tedious work not only without a salary, but having to pay for it yourself? Usually, most people would refuse such an offer without hesitation. However, did you know that countless students from around the world are not given a choice: they must complete unpaid curricular internships while having to pay their tuition in order to receive their college diplomas. A curricular internship is part of a student’s university degree program and these internships aim to help students complement their classroom education with practical experience in their field of interest. Usually, curricular internships are rather lengthy, ranging from 6 months to 1 year or longer, and the working hours per day range from 6 hours to 12 hours or more, depending on the student’s major. Like all internships, employers are not required by law to pay their interns.
Generally, most students expect to receive pay to compensate for their contribution to the workplace, whereas employers feel it’s not necessary to pay their interns. For a more comprehensive discussion, this article will discuss the issue from students’ and employers’ perspectives, as well as offer possible suggestions for curricular internship programs which can benefit both sides. Examples of majors at NTU that have curricular internships and how they work Like most universities around the world, all medicine related majors at NTU expect students to complete curricular internships prior to receiving their diplomas. This includes dentistry, veterinary medicine, human medicine, nursing, and physiotherapy. For all of these majors, students are expected to complete their internship at the NTU Hospital (or in my case, at the NTU Animal Hospital). Students do not choose the location of their internship. Minimum wage is not provided even though college tuition is still required. Why students think minimum wage should be provided - To compensate for lost opportunities: time for studying, working, resting, time with family and friends. - To compensate for time, health (physical and mental), and labor. - Long working hours which involve tedious tasks that are often unrelated to the curriculum. - To defray the cost of tuition, which still needs to be paid. - Greater motivation: if interns were paid they would be motivated to achieve a higher level of work quality, especially for interns who are financially challenged. Why employers would think minimum wage does not need to be provided - Interns are inexperienced, unskilled, and do not possess sufficient knowledge of their study field. - Internship is a learning experience; interns should not be paid for learning skills and knowledge. - College credit is given and the internship is mandatory. - Giving wages would classify interns as laborers, hence they would be protected by the Labor Act, which states that work cannot exceed 8 hours per day. - Employers were once unpaid as interns as well, therefore it’s only fair to continue the practice. In addition to no salary, students don’t get to choose their internship location There is one major flaw in the system of the curricular internship: students are not given any options about their internship location. What if the NTU Animal Hospital is nowhere near a student’s ideal workplace environment? What if the student is certain that he/she will not be working in the field of small animal medicine, but rather in the field of aquatic animals or as a government employee? And if the student is still obliged to intern at the NTU Animal Hospital shouldn’t he/she at least be paid? How do other universities handle their internship programs? Have you heard of cooperative education programs or co-ops? Numerous universities throughout the world provide their students with the opportunity to participate in co-ops, which is an optional internship at companies that collaborate with the universities. These co-ops develop talent and enrich students, who can experience their chosen professional field at a company of their choice and receive a very satisfying salary as well. Students are treated as equal individuals; their thoughts and contributions are valued, they are allowed to engage in teamwork with other professionals and not be exploited. Furthermore, students that perform well during their internships generally find good jobs after graduating. How NTU can incorporate a similar co-op program for their curricular internships NTU can adopt a similar co-op program by providing students with the option to choose their internship location and provide students with salaries. As the most prestigious research university in Taiwan, NTU can easily cooperate with companies and government institutions for students to intern at. Taking veterinary students as an example, the school can provide options that better suit career plans by collaborating with hospitals, government institutes, zoos, etc. Last words Students don’t want to waste their time whereas employers don’t want to waste their money. But clearly, if students are given the option to choose their own internships, they will perform better and become assets for their employers. There is no question that interns should be paid, and employers would agree too when they see how their interns are eager to learn and how they strive for maximum performance. a
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The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
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