A London university has pledged to pay all interns the London Living Wage from today.
Under the new policy, interns at University College London will be paid £9.15 an hour, receive paid leave and be entitled to sick pay.
There are around 30 interns working at UCL at any one time.
It comes after UCL agreed to pay campus cleaners the living wage in 2010 after a series of articles in the Evening Standard.
Nigel Waugh, UCL director of human resources, said: “UCL is committed to being an honourable employer. We are keen to encourage and support internships that prepare students for the transition into work.
"Following consultation across the University we have decided to take this step to pay all interns. This makes it far more likely that interns will benefit fully from the experience and makes explicit that they are not a source of unpaid labour.”
Professor Gesine Manuwald, head of UCL Greek and Latin, said her department has been paying interns the living wage for some time.
She added: “I am absolutely delighted that paying interns the London Living Wage has now become general UCL policy, so that all interns across UCL will be treated equally. I hope that other higher education institutions and major companies in London will follow suit.
"In addition to a good degree, internships are vital stepping stones in preparing today’s young people for the world of work, and since interns typically do not have access to other sources of funding, it has to be ensured that all young people who are interested in and would benefit from a period of being immersed in the processes of a work environment can take up such opportunities.”
