CPRS condemns unpaid internships
By Adnews Staff
The Toronto-based Canadian Public Relations Society has issued a call for an end to the practice of unpaid internships in the public relations industry. The statement follows an open letter released in May from a group of public relations professionals opposing unpaid internships. The CPRS National Board of Directors has previously passed a motion “to support the initiative to eliminate unpaid internships in the Canadian public relations industry by December 2021.” The organization defines an internship as a non-voluntary, contractual form of supervised work experience, of any duration, that benefits the employer and the intern.
“The Canadian Public Relations Society calls on all those organizations who employ public relations students and interns to ensure they are properly compensated for work performed either by meeting the minimum wage standards in their region or providing an appropriate honorarium,” reads the statement.
“Interns perform work that generates real outcomes for their employers,” said Wayne Knorr, national president of the society. “The industry must recognize the value that interns bring to their workplace and pay them accordingly. Paying students for the work they do increases the level of engagement and commitment for both students and employers. CPRS is committed to encouraging employers to offer PR students this important work experience and to recognize its monetary value.”