Unpaid internships are a reality for thousands of Canadians each year and this issue has continually entered into the public debate, especially on university and college campuses. Many argue that unpaid internships are exploitative to youth and other marginalized groups, but is this really the case? Do unpaid internships provide a tangible benefit for people attempting to land that first job? This week’s show will take a closer look at this issue to better understand the true costs and benefits of unpaid internships.

Show Guests

Phillip Oreopoulos, Professor, University of Toronto

Dr. Oreopoulos is Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Toronto.  His current work focuses on education policy, especially the application of behavioral economics to education and child development. Dr. Oreopoulos received his Ph.D. from the University of California, at Berkeley and his M.A. from the University of British Columbia.

Andrew Langille, Lawyer

Andrew Langille is a Toronto based labour lawyer and an internationally recognized labour law scholar. Andrew acts as as a strategic consultant to organizations and political parties on economic and labour market issues affecting youth.  He is the founder of Youth and Work, a website that utilizes emerging communication strategies to disseminate information on workplace law to young people.

Nicole Cohen, Professor, University of Toronto

Dr. Nicole S. Cohen is an assistant professor at the Institute of Communication, Culture, Information, and Technology at the University of Toronto Mississauga and holds a graduate appointment in the Faculty of Information. Her research has been published in South Atlantic Quarterly, The Communication Review, Canadian Journal of Communication Studies, Democratic Communique, and several edited books in communication studies.”

Music Credits

Alone in the Universe, David Usher

Tongue Tied, Faber Drive

Say it Right, Nelly Furtado  

Show Credits

Emma Helfand-Green, Show Producer

Gagan Batra, Show Host

Abdi Hersi & Ahmad Alramahi, Technical Producer

Nirmalan Vijeyakumar, Executive Producer