The Low Pay Commission (LPC) has been by the government to review internships and evaluate whether such work experience placements should be paid,
The Department for Business Innovation and Skills has asked the LPC to pay particular attention to youth employment, including pay for those in apprenticeships and internships.
The department said this would “reflect ongoing concerns about the position of young people in the labour market.”
The CIPD has long called for a training wage for interns, and has suggested it be set at the same rate as the minimum wage for apprentices – currently £2.50 per hour.
The TUC said it also welcomed the LPC’s focus on internships, as such work experience opportunities were “becoming a necessity in many industries for young people getting their first job.”
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber added: “Many employers offering unpaid internships are breaking minimum wage law with impunity, and these arrangements exclude the majority of youngsters who don’t have the contacts or financial backing to work for free for months at a time.”
The LPC is due to submit its report to the prime minister and the secretary of state for business, innovation and skills by the end of February 2012.
