Pay Rise Campaign - Briefing paper
Young people in traineeships
Traineeships are supposed to ease the path from education to work, and should have a strong training or learning element. In reality, they are often used to supply cheap, or even unpaid, labour. Some 61% of university graduates across Europe have undertaken at least one traineeship. Some do provide useful training, and some are combined with study. However, only 20% pay enough to cover basic living costs, sinking to 12% in Spain, and only 27% lead to an offer of employment. Traineeships too often amount to an unpaid probationary period which ends in nothing because the trainee is replaced with another trainee.
Background on traineeships
A specific form of precarious work for young people is the misuse of traineeships – either because they are used as cheap labour (as a substitute for a worker on a regular contract) or not paid.
A European Commission study in 2013, based on interviews with 12,921 young people, found that 46% had undertaken at least one traineeship, as had 61% of graduates.
They can be short, with training, but they often amount to an unpaid, or badly paid trial period. The number of young people taking a traineeship after completing their studies varies between countries, but comprised a majority in Spain, Slovenia and Croatia.
Only 27% move into a job, while 23% are offered another traineeship. Only 40% are paid, and of those only 46% are paid enough to cover basic living costs. In Spain, only 29% among the 42% who received payment said it was enough to live on. In 10 EU countries, trainees said their pay did not cover their living expenses: Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Luxembourg, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland and Croatia.
Percentage of those interviewed in 2013 who had undertaken a traineeship
At least one traineeship |
At least one after completing studies |
|
EU27 |
46 |
33 |
Belgium |
64 |
23 |
Bulgaria |
36 |
49 |
Czech Republic |
9 |
25 |
Denmark |
38 |
15 |
Germany |
74 |
38 |
Estonia |
52 |
11 |
Ireland |
20 |
53 |
Greece |
28 |
42 |
Spain |
35 |
67 |
France |
73 |
19 |
Italy |
31 |
42 |
Cyprus |
79 |
17 |
Latvia |
15 |
21 |
Lithuania |
8 |
46 |
Luxembourg |
65 |
21 |
Hungary |
45 |
22 |
Malta |
12 |
45 |
Netherlands |
79 |
12 |
Austria |
53 |
39 |
Poland |
24 |
36 |
Portugal |
38 |
56 |
Romania |
10 |
27 |
Slovenia |
29 |
68 |
Slovakia |
8 |
38 |
Finland |
66 |
17 |
Sweden |
30 |
27 |
United Kingdom |
56 |
28 |
Croatia |
22 |
60 |
Flash Eurobarometer 378,
https://data.europa.eu/euodp/en/data/dataset/S1091_378
Percentage of those interviewed in 2013 who had undertaken a traineeship with compensation
Received compensation |
Of which, sufficient for basic living costs |
|
EU27 |
40 |
46 |
Belgium |
19 |
38 |
Bulgaria |
42 |
57 |
Czech Republic |
61 |
70 |
Denmark |
31 |
69 |
Germany |
38 |
39 |
Estonia |
50 |
62 |
Ireland |
65 |
75 |
Greece |
57 |
38 |
Spain |
42 |
29 |
France |
39 |
42 |
Italy |
30 |
53 |
Cyprus |
29 |
51 |
Latvia |
61 |
67 |
Lithuania |
67 |
62 |
Luxembourg |
44 |
44 |
Hungary |
43 |
45 |
Malta |
54 |
67 |
Netherlands |
57 |
32 |
Austria |
69 |
64 |
Poland |
70 |
30 |
Portugal |
36 |
58 |
Romania |
55 |
56 |
Slovenia |
81 |
69 |
Slovakia |
51 |
64 |
Finland |
46 |
70 |
Sweden |
46 |
61 |
United Kingdom |
29 |
68 |
Croatia |
48 |
48 |
Flash Eurobarometer 378,
https://data.europa.eu/euodp/en/data/dataset/S1091_378
Link to video: "Internships can either be fair or free, not both! #OurPayRise": https://youtu.be/srvD6iGSOlE