Point at which 'internships could be exploitation'

In a number of industries it is quite normal for graduates to take on unpaid internships, according to the Graduate Recruitment Bureau (GRB).

However, Dan Hawes, co-founder of the GRB, said that there does come a point when internships could be viewed as exploitation.

The Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) said in a recent interview with the BBC that too many professions are reliant upon graduates to carry out unpaid work.

Kayte Lawton from the ippr told the news provider that there is a culture where certain sectors are relying on unpaid work and that is "not fair" for those "who have to do the work and those who do not get the opportunities".

"We need a big culture shift," she added.

"There are laws against not paying people who work for you, who shouldn't do it for nothing," said Mr Hawes.

He added that internships could be seen as being unfair as they rule out a number of people who "can't afford to work for nothing".

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