Here in London, where I'm staying prior to a Westminster meeting on the future of the DELHE, the free paper has an article about an advertisement for a Masters graduate to help run a conservation project for pangolins.
Apparently there's a "job" at Regent's Park zoo for someone willing to trade their four+ years in higher education for £5 a day and a Travelcard.
Yes, that's right, they're offering free bus travel and the equivalent of a budget meal deal (you don't get much in the capital for a fiver) in return for the skills, abilities, dedication and knowledge of a science graduate.
Apparently, not only is there no such thing as a minimum wage for "vacancies" like this, if charities want to throw all kinds of social, ethical and humanitarian considerations out of the window they can "employ" volunteers.
Or in other words, only the offspring of very wealthy parents need apply.
Seems to me that if our government is serious about wanting social mobility and an increase in the percentage of 18 year-olds studying at level four and up, this sort of "unpaid internship" ought to be made illegal as matter of priority.
Tomorrow's not in any way the correct forum for me to bring that bit up, but it might be one where some Special Advisors get something to think about when we discuss the post-qualification salary questions.
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