No mandatory compensation for interns yet

The Minister of Education, Eppo Bruins, acknowledges in a letter to the House of Representatives that what interns do constitutes work and, though internships offer significant learning opportunities, they also leave little time for a paying job. That is why the minister thinks they should receive a "suitable internship allowance". He just doesn't want to enforce it. The minister fears that a minimum wage for interns would lead fewer companies to hire interns. In his view, small businesses and self-employed professionals would be particularly prone to giving up on internships if the rules were to change.

Optimistic
Besides, the minister finds that things are moving in the right direction, as more and more interns at the vocational education level are getting paid. However, this is not a speedy increase and 58 percent of interns at this level are still not getting paid.

Most higher education students are compensated in their internships, though 25 percent of students from universities of applied sciences don't get paid. At the university level, 9 percent of students get no internship allowance. The percentage rises to 35 percent among students for whom an internship is compulsory.

Nevertheless, Bruins says that unions and employers are working on improvements. In 2023, internships were included in ten percent of collective labour agreements, and the percentage rose to almost 17 percent a year later. All in all, he does not think the government should interfere with the matter for the time being. He promised to consider it again in two years.

Passing the buck
The Dutch National Student Association (ISO) is not satisfied with Bruins' statements. The organisation believes that the minister is passing the buck. "It will be years before internships are included in all collective labour agreements," says chair Mylou Miché.

In her view, the complexity of the issue is not an excuse. She emphasises that interns should not be dependent on the goodwill of employers: "If you want every student to be compensated, then you need clear agreements."