Unpaid internships are bad for business and bad for young people at the start of their careers. In sectors such as journalism and fashion they are almost ubiquitous, but ultimately they mean that the businesses using them are only able to hire those from the wealthiest of backgrounds. There is a huge amount of talent that simply cannot afford to do a full time job for no pay. With higher tuition fees and benefit cuts that problem is only going to get worse.

To solve this problem, we propose to create a system like that currently used to encourage businesses to take on apprentices. Businesses who hire apprentices are exempt from aspects of national insurance and eligible for grants, but these do not apply to internships, despite both occupying a similar place in the job market and career ladder. The argument against ensuring interns are paid has always been that it would reduce the number of positions made available. By creating a system of incentives in their place, that problem is overcome. Businesses will be able to attract the best candidates from all backgrounds. Businesses that might be put off paying interns for fear of a disadvantageous wage bill in relation to their competitors will no longer need to be concerned. Young people, finally, will not be forced to choose between their financial security and their career prospects.

The campaign we propose focuses on the advantages that such a scheme might have for businesses. Too often these issues are positioned as Left vs Business, with the assumption being that the left see all businesses as off-shore profit hungry tax avoiding Christmas cancelling maniacs hell-bent on taking the humble worker for everything he or she is worth. As stated, however, this is a pro-business agenda. We want the best people working in our best companies.

As such, we propose to approach a senior business figure from a company that already pays their interns. These are the businesses with the most to gain from levelling the playing field, and those with the best experience on which to draw. Such a figure could front the campaign, making clear that this is something that businesses can and should want.

We also propose to bring in the Living Wage Foundation, who have valuable expertise in this area. Their campaign on the living wage, while still ongoing, has achieved vast success and public recognition in recent years, and provides a good framework on which to go forward. Like the living wage campaign, we should back a study into the benefits of paying internees for businesses. Like the living wage campaign, we should also give accreditation and positive publicity to employers who already pay all of their interns.

In this way, we can create a pro-business campaign for paid internships. We hope you will choose to support our campaign.