Businesses confused over hiring position
Thu, 29 Oct 2009
Employers cannot be blamed for a tentative approach towards internships and apprenticeships, it has been claimed.
According to Rachel Krys, campaign director of the Employers Forum on Age, potential hirers are in a "difficult" position at the moment.
She said they are being told on one hand that internships contravene minimum wage and age discrimination regulation, but they are still being encouraged to take on young workers to keep the unemployment rate down.
"People talk about volunteering and internships being one of the solutions to this problem. I think employers are getting a bit of a mixed message," Ms Krys added.
She suggested that the government needs to have a well-thought-out approach to reducing youth unemployment through business engagement.
"Employers need to be very clear and given the right information about what they can and cannot do in terms of work experience and internships. We either are encouraging volunteering or we are not," Ms Krys added.
"Employers need to be told what is lawful and what is not, and the government needs to take the initiative there."
According to Volunteering England, 86 per cent of Volunteer Centres have seen an increase in enquiries from those willing to offer their services unpaid.
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