Hurst, J. A., Gardner, P., Dorie, A. (2023). Are unpaid internships just as valuable? A comparison of U.S. work integrated learning students’ perceptions of paid and unpaid experiences, IJWIL, 24(1), 57-81.
The notion of compensation generates criticism, especially in the U.S. around unpaid internships in particular – the country’s principal form of work-integrated learning (WIL). The distinction between unpaid and paid internships remains understudied and therefore, serves as the primary motivator to compare students’ perceptions of unpaid and paid WIL experiences, using a large U.S. data set. The purpose of this study is to compare interns’ perceptions of unpaid and paid experiences to gain a better understanding of how these experiences frame interns’ supervisory support interactions, perceptions of advancement opportunities, career confirmation, and conversion intentions. The study is U.S. centric, surveying students who had recently completed their internships. Results indicated that regardless of pay (i.e., paid vs. unpaid), interns had similar expectations regarding supervisory support, career confirmation, and conversion intentions. Hence, confirming that both unpaid and paid internships provide a strong platform for students to obtain the support they need to launch their future careers.