Member Article

Rest of Britain lags behind London in hiring interns, says ACCA

Clear geographical imbalance needs to be addressed in terms of paid internships says ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and Intern Aware as new YouGov survey shows a majority share of internships offered are in London, with the North, Midlands and East are England lagging behind.

A new online YouGov survey looking at business attitudes to internships, commissioned as part of a joint research project between Intern Aware and ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), has found that 58% of British businesses have never used an intern.

The report also found that 37% of businesses who do employ interns source some of their candidates through friends and family.

The survey found that businesses in London are far more likely to employ interns, with just 38% of respondents stating they have never done so.

At the other end of the scale, 72% of businesses in the Midlands have never employed an intern; with the East (61%) and the North (67%) also reporting a high number of businesses who have never offered paid internships.

Commenting on the disparity across the regions, Helen Brand OBE, chief executive of ACCA said: “We know that only a tiny minority of young people can afford to travel to London for an internship. With work experience now considered an integral part of any CV, the lack of opportunities available outside the capital will only add to the economic divide between the north and south of the country in future years.

“By 2017, ACCA wants to see at least 60% of all businesses having employed a paid intern and to have reaped the multitude of benefits that working with a talented, enthusiastic young person can bring.”

Chris Hares, campaigns manager for Intern Aware said: “This research confirms what young people have been saying for years – internships are being dished out to friends and family members, rather than the most able. This creates a new hurdle for bright young people who lack money or connections.

“This is also making the problem of unpaid internships worse. Businesses and young people alike need a fair system which provides legal clarity, which is why we’re calling for the Government to require all internships lasting more than four weeks to be paid.”

According to Helen Brand, improving access to internships will not only bring benefits to young people from the area, but offers a boost to the businesses offering them too.

“Improving access to internships across the country is a vital part of addressing the geographical imbalance in our economy.

“Cultivating a talented, motivated, ambitious workforce is a vital component of any good strategy for growth. If businesses located outside London want to compete with those based in the capital, offering paid internships to the next generation of local talent is key.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ellen Forster .