Should Graduates Pay To Get Work Experience?

Work experience is crucial, playing a significant role in allowing students to explore potential career paths and begin building the skills and knowledge required to succeed in the workforce. But should students pay to get their career start?

A law firm is currently being investigated by the Fair Work Ombudsman for offering two-year placements with a participation fee of $22,000. This is further complicated by one stipulation: the firm’s junior lawyers can only earn money on the job if they complete work for clients, meaning there is no guaranteed income.

Marie Iskander of the Australian Law Students’ Association described the firm’s ‘pay-for-a-job’ program as unethical and an ‘opportunist business model’ taking advantage of graduates — a sentiment echoed by the South Australian Law Society, which raised concern about the appropriateness of the scheme.

Of further concern is the issue of catering to only those who can afford the fees, creating an equality imbalance.