Internship allowance: government not imposing any requirements

There has been years of wrangling over this, but the government has taken the decision: there will be a compulsory internship allowance for students in vocational education (MBO), higher professional education (HBO) and university education (WO). The Council of Ministers agreed to this today.

Short-term work placements and those abroad are exempt. Furthermore, Minister Letschert does not wish to set a minimum amount for the time being. It could, so to speak, even be a payment of 1 cent.

However, students must see an improvement in their situation. If the allowances remain too low, she can still set a minimum amount. She has announced that she will include this option in her draft bill.

A large proportion

“Many students spend a large proportion of their time at university on work placements,” says Letschert in a press release. “Work placements are essential to their education and to preparing them for the labour market. That deserves recognition and appreciation, including in financial terms.”

The introduction of a statutory internship allowance had already been agreed in the coalition agreement between D66, the CDA and the VVD. However, the VVD had reservations about it. The liberals consistently refer to small businesses that cannot afford such an allowance. The number of internship places could well decline, they argue.

To address this problem, the governing parties initially devised an internship fund. This was set out in the coalition agreements, but Letschert has ruled it out. She writes in her letter that this would not work in practice “because there is a high risk of unintended use and it is difficult to define its scope”.

Reactions
The National Students’ Union (LSVb) is disappointed that no minimum amount will be introduced: “Anything less than 40 per cent of the minimum wage is an insult.” For a 21-year-old student on a 40-hour-a-week work placement, that would mean around 1,000 euros.

Furthermore, LSVb sees a problem with enforcement: students apparently have to take their case to court themselves if their internship provider fails to pay. The minister acknowledges in her letter that this is a high hurdle, but believes in effective communication between interns and internship providers. LSVb considers this insufficient.

The National Student Association (ISO) is pleased that an obligation is being introduced, but is just as disappointed as LSVb. “Students deserve more than just a pat on the back for all the work they do,” it said in a press statement. The ISO had previously mentioned a remuneration of 560 euros.

Making internship remuneration compulsory is easier said than done, as remuneration is not a wage. It can't be, otherwise, interns would fall under employment law. But if it's not a wage, what is it? An exploratory report by civil servants last January stated that, from a legal perspective, a "token of appreciation" would be the most practical interpretation.