Internships under scrutiny
As the government launches a crackdown on organisations misusing the practice, the Museums Association is updating its guidelines on internships. Caroline Parry reports
The use of unpaid internships across museums and galleries has once again come under the spotlight after the government announced a crackdown on organisations that are misusing the “exploitative” practice.
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is reported to have contacted more than 550 companies to remind them that interns doing the role, in effect, of workers should be paid the minimum wage. As minimum-wage legislation makes unpaid roles illegal, HMRC is setting up enforcement teams to tackle repeat offenders.
The move follows the publication of the Taylor review of modern working practices last June, which urged the government to stamp out the use of unpaid roles for being exploitative and for damaging social mobility.
The Museums Association (MA) is redrafting its 2012 guidance (see below) on internships and is expected to publish new guidelines this spring. Tamsin Russell, the professional development officer at the MA, says while she is not aware of any organisations within the sector being contacted, it is something that needs to be revisited.
“It is an issue that has been bubbling under for some time but, as a sector, we have now begun to talk about it more consistently,” says Russell.
However, she is careful not to demonise all unpaid roles or the use of genuine volunteers.
“There are benefits to focused internships and there is a value in running them for about four weeks, as it meets the needs of different groups,” adds Russell. “They can be worth volumes.”
Concerns raised
Concerns about the impact of unpaid internships on the sector have increasingly been voiced in recent years. Low salaries, a lack of diversity in the museum sector workforce and an over-reliance on entry-level candidates having experience have contributed to the growth of unpaid roles.
Alexander Bird, the sector development officer at Museum Development North West, has stopped advertising unpaid roles.
“Volunteers bring so much to the sector and enhance the experience for so many,” he says. “There are many volunteer roles, however, that should be paid roles, and some of it is bordering on unethical.”
But Bird also says that paid internship roles offer a lot to people in terms of developing skills, gaining experience and enhancing their CVs and employability, as well as being a great benefit to museums.
The benefits of paid internships have been highlighted by a recent project by consultancy Culture Syndicates, which received £150,000 in Arts Council England Resilience funding. The project involved five local authority museums and one independent museum being paired with an intern for a year to work on shared opportunities for engaging communities.
Charlotte Pratley, the director of Culture Syndicates, says that while the project uncovered several barriers to more diverse candidates applying for entry-level museum roles, such as using postgraduate criteria and inflexible recruitment procedures, it also highlighted the benefits of paid and actively developmental internships. All six interns gained paid work after the year ended.
As a result of the project, Culture Syndicates is now working with Museum Development Yorkshire to explore how museums can improve workforce diversity through paid placements and engaging communities.
“We are trying to see if that shift can happen on a small scale,” says Pratley. “It has got to be done in increments.”
Skills rethink
Alongside a drive to diversify the workforce, Bird believes that it is also time to rethink what skills the museum sector needs to thrive in today’s economic climate.
“We need to be looking at people in different ways and looking at their skills in a more modern way,” he says. “We are at a point where the old view of the academic career is going, as the sector is required to do so much more now to engage with audiences. It is not going to be about just the collections any more.
“There is a revolution going on in roles and everyone in a museum needs to be able to do everything. Now is the time to look at what that means for entry-level roles.”
Internships advice
The Museums Association believes internships should:
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is reported to have contacted more than 550 companies to remind them that interns doing the role, in effect, of workers should be paid the minimum wage. As minimum-wage legislation makes unpaid roles illegal, HMRC is setting up enforcement teams to tackle repeat offenders.
The move follows the publication of the Taylor review of modern working practices last June, which urged the government to stamp out the use of unpaid roles for being exploitative and for damaging social mobility.
The Museums Association (MA) is redrafting its 2012 guidance (see below) on internships and is expected to publish new guidelines this spring. Tamsin Russell, the professional development officer at the MA, says while she is not aware of any organisations within the sector being contacted, it is something that needs to be revisited.
“It is an issue that has been bubbling under for some time but, as a sector, we have now begun to talk about it more consistently,” says Russell.
However, she is careful not to demonise all unpaid roles or the use of genuine volunteers.
“There are benefits to focused internships and there is a value in running them for about four weeks, as it meets the needs of different groups,” adds Russell. “They can be worth volumes.”
Concerns raised
Concerns about the impact of unpaid internships on the sector have increasingly been voiced in recent years. Low salaries, a lack of diversity in the museum sector workforce and an over-reliance on entry-level candidates having experience have contributed to the growth of unpaid roles.
Alexander Bird, the sector development officer at Museum Development North West, has stopped advertising unpaid roles.
“Volunteers bring so much to the sector and enhance the experience for so many,” he says. “There are many volunteer roles, however, that should be paid roles, and some of it is bordering on unethical.”
But Bird also says that paid internship roles offer a lot to people in terms of developing skills, gaining experience and enhancing their CVs and employability, as well as being a great benefit to museums.
The benefits of paid internships have been highlighted by a recent project by consultancy Culture Syndicates, which received £150,000 in Arts Council England Resilience funding. The project involved five local authority museums and one independent museum being paired with an intern for a year to work on shared opportunities for engaging communities.
Charlotte Pratley, the director of Culture Syndicates, says that while the project uncovered several barriers to more diverse candidates applying for entry-level museum roles, such as using postgraduate criteria and inflexible recruitment procedures, it also highlighted the benefits of paid and actively developmental internships. All six interns gained paid work after the year ended.
As a result of the project, Culture Syndicates is now working with Museum Development Yorkshire to explore how museums can improve workforce diversity through paid placements and engaging communities.
“We are trying to see if that shift can happen on a small scale,” says Pratley. “It has got to be done in increments.”
Skills rethink
Alongside a drive to diversify the workforce, Bird believes that it is also time to rethink what skills the museum sector needs to thrive in today’s economic climate.
“We need to be looking at people in different ways and looking at their skills in a more modern way,” he says. “We are at a point where the old view of the academic career is going, as the sector is required to do so much more now to engage with audiences. It is not going to be about just the collections any more.
“There is a revolution going on in roles and everyone in a museum needs to be able to do everything. Now is the time to look at what that means for entry-level roles.”
Internships advice
The Museums Association believes internships should:
- Pay reasonable work-related expenses and give interns reasonable access to staff benefits (such as free tickets to exhibitions or events).
- Be planned and structured with a clear brief, specific job content and a named line manager or supervisor.
- Give a clear outline of what is being offered to interns, and what is expected of them.
- Offer an agreed training and development plan with the intern, setting out what learning opportunities will be offered.
- Ensure that potential interns are told whether there is a realistic chance of the internship leading to employment.
- Be of a minimum of eight weeks and a maximum 12 months (if paid) and a maximum of three months (if unpaid).
Update
16.04.2018
We said Cultural Syndicates. The correct name is Culture Syndicates. And we failed to mention that one independent museum was involved with the project to engage communities alongside the five local authority museums.