{"entry":{"title":"End the War on Internships","date":"Tue, 03 Sep 2013 04:00:00 +0000","author":"Joe Starrs, The Daily Caller","description":"
As Americans celebrate Labor Day this weekend, a tried and true road to employment for young people is in danger of dramatically shrinking. Last June a federal judge ruled in favor of a 40 year-old intern who claims he was exploited by Fox Searchlight pictures. Since that decision, lawyers, labor leaders and others are lining up to put an end to a system that they claim violates federal labor standards and takes advantage of people desperate to gain experience in the working world. If these efforts are successful, the results would be tragic. Internships for college students, both paid and unpaid, have long been the first rung on the ladder of a successful career<\/span><\/span><\/a> and are an indispensable part of creating opportunities for both rich and poor students alike.<\/p> Casualties are already occurring in this battle. Companies that used to open their doors to dozens of students have either closed their doors altogether or now offer one or two paid internships. That’s great for the two paid interns – not so good for the 10 students who were shut out. Students who had been willing forgo payment in exchange for experience, professional development<\/span><\/span><\/a>, and valuable contacts are the big losers here. Companies that have long used their internship programs as a pool for future employees lose out as well.<\/p> <\/p>","original_link":"Assigned"}}