Every year, thousands of students in Ontario trade in their sweatpants and backpacks for dress pants and briefcases as they transform into working interns. An increasing amount of students are undertaking internships, often unpaid, to bolster their resumes and increase their chances of getting hired after graduation.
Currently, these unpaid internships are being criticized in the media for exploiting young people for free labour and depressing the job market. Although there may be social consequences, many students feel there’s no other choice but to accept unpaid positions for experience.