Students Deserve Paid Internships: Opinion by a Master of Social Work/ Master of Public Health Dual Degree Candidate
SDSU School of Public Health • By Elana Metz • July 18, 2023
“Although internships are intended to teach skills necessary for practice, they also increase the cost of education, present barriers to education for non-traditional students, and can be exploitative. In a sector challenged by workforce shortages, mental health struggles, and lack of diversity, it is critical to look at the role that unpaid and underpaid work requirements play in contributing to these issues.
When Sarah and I wrote this opinion piece for the San Diego Union-Tribune, the movement to end unpaid internships in social work was just beginning. Students at the University of Michigan had recently launched the Payment for Placements (P4P) campaign with a viral petition, calling on their school administration to identify funding solutions to address the issue of students experiencing poverty and food insecurity while interning 16-20 hours a week. Their efforts caught the attention of students around the country and launched a robust nationwide campaign that has since sprouted chapters at 40 universities across 22 states.”
