Are internships and volunteers taking jobs away from themselves?

I can’t help but be concerned with the number of volunteer and internships positions being held by hopeful students (and even possibly retired people).

Internships: The Australian experience... Read More

The problem is volunteering does not guarantee anything and based on this article plus my own observations, people are working for many months and don’t even get considered for a position. If people didn’t volunteer and didn’t do internships companies would be forced to employ people and that would create jobs.

As an example I read once read there were something like 57 volunteers working at Melbourne Zoo where there are 7 zookeeper positions. If each person puts in 4 hours a week that’s equivalent to around 6 full-time jobs or many more part-time jobs which would otherwise be required. I can’t help wondering how many zookeepers leave each year. If one leaves each year that’s 56 people who miss out.

Some businesses will use work experience as the labour for their business. When people volunteer for months performing the same task often they’re doing the job a paid employee would otherwise do.

Whilst I think it is great that retirees perform volunteer work for their own benefit and interests, my concern is they could be doing someone out of a job. I’m sure if retirees thought about it, if it was their grandchild that they put out of a job they’d never consider it.

Some limits need to be put into place to ensure our young people aren’t being used. Free labour may help the bottom line for large businesses and government organisations, but is it the best we can do for the next generation.  

- Kelvin Eldridge
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