When I was an engineering student I worked during my degree at GEC-Marconi Research Center and was paid for this work. Although the money wasn’t great, being paid not only recognised the contribution I was making but also motivated me to work hard and be professional. Back in the 80s neither engineering employers nor the interns even thought about asking students to work for free.
When I entered the PR industry I was shocked to find that unpaid internships were commonplace. Its a bad idea – both for the company and the intern. So at Napier we decided to always pay our interns.
I’m really pleased to see that there is strong momentum in the industry to stamp out unpaid internships, and we’re all delighted to be amongst the first agencies listed as supporting the PRCA in demanding all interns receive at least the National Minimum Wage.

Author

  • Mike Maynard

    In 2001 Mike acquired Napier with Suzy Kenyon. Since that time he has directed major PR and marketing programmes for a wide range of technology clients. He is actively involved in developing the PR and marketing industries, and is Chair of the PRCA B2B Group, and lectures in PR at Southampton Solent University. Mike offers a unique blend of technical and marketing expertise, and was awarded a Masters Degree in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from the University of Surrey and an MBA from Kingston University.

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