Resolution on Mandatory internship compensation
Currently, approximately 51% of higher education students in the European Education Area, and over a quarter of students in both the Netherlands and Malta in the Netherlands, more than a quarter do not receive any form of compensation during their internship. An internship (“stage” in Dutch) is a period in which students work at a company or organisation to gain practical experience related to their studies. In the Netherlands, internships are often full-time, integrated into study programmes, and can be essential for graduation, making fair compensation particularly important. Nationally, Maltese law also does not have any legal mandate for making internships paid, mandatory or otherwise. Instead, the interpretation of the law allows the employer to provide remuneration at their discretion “when both employer and intern benefit” – a vague statement which leaves the door open for abuse.
Types of internships as mentioned above, differ significantly from the “open-labour-market” traineeships addressed in the current EU proposal, which largely excludes curriculum-based placements. As a result, the European initiative does not automatically cover the majority of internships that Dutch students are required to complete as part of their education.
According to ResearchNed[], 35% of university students and 25% of students at universities of applied sciences receive no payment for their placements. Consequently, one in four interns report feeling like cheap labour for their employer.
Many students work a lot of hours per week, combining their paid job with their internship, just to try to get by financially. Still, working a paid job alongside a full-time internship is almost impossible. As a result, students lose a significant source of income they would otherwise have if not for their unpaid internship. The average lost income amounts to €560 per month in the Netherlands, according to Nibud, the Dutch research centre on household finances[].
The European Youth Forum[] warns that students who do not receive internship compensation experience higher levels of stress and anxiety, as well as an increased risk of burnout In certain circumstances, the need to work long hours to meet basic living expenses, together with the requirement to complete an unpaid mandatory internship also negatively impacts students wishing to engage in university experiences related to active citizenship, which are an essential part of a holistic education. They also face reduced access to essential resources such as housing, transport, and food. This directly affects students’ mental and physical well-being, and as a result, such students are effectively excluded from the broader university experience, being left with little to no opportunity to engage in active citizenship. and limits their ability to participate fully in higher education.
A minimum threshold for internship compensation not only provides students with greater financial security and improved well-being, but also promotes equal opportunities. Every student, regardless of socioeconomic background, should be able to gain valuable internship experience without facing financial barriers. Importantly, the learning process must remain central: internships are primarily educational experiences, not jobs. To ensure fair compensation without compromising the educational focus, we propose a concrete reference: a minimum compensation equivalent to 45 times the hourly minimum wage for a full-time internship, which comes down to the €560 per month in the Netherlands that students . This provides students with financial security while maintaining the primary purpose of the internship as a structured learning opportunity.
Therefore, ESU, ISO and KSU call for;
- National governments and European institutions to introduce a statutory minimum internship compensation for full-time internships, linked to the average income students earn from part-time work in their respective country.
- All European countries to establish mechanisms for reporting misconduct or violation of student rights related to internships.
[1] https://open.overheid.nl/documenten/dpc-ffde28ea9c224392e50db22b7dbc6fc9a485479c/pdf
[2] https://open.overheid.nl/documenten/dpc-79ec409243725c8ec174a110cf0ec494ece1aa7d/pdf
[3] https://www.youthforum.org/files/231114-DP-CostUnpaidInternships.pdf