{"id":182219,"date":"2025-10-02T14:14:38","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T12:14:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=182219"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:56","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:56","slug":"studentenorganisaties-willen-verplichte-stagevergoeding-onderwijsminister-ook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2025\/10\/02\/studentenorganisaties-willen-verplichte-stagevergoeding-onderwijsminister-ook\/","title":{"rendered":"Student organisations call for mandatory internship pay, education minister agrees"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the Day of the Intern, student organisations are drawing attention to unpaid internships. On the same day, caretaker education minister Gouke Moes announced that he wants to introduce mandatory internship pay in higher education too, if possible.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFemke Legu\u00e9<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

An internship allowance should be mandatory for everyone, say youth organisations and trade unions. That\u2019s why they have declared 1 October the Day of the Intern. \u201cFair pay for work is not a luxury, but a basic condition for equal opportunities,\u201d they argue.<\/p>\n

Several MPs are therefore spending a day doing unpaid internships, in a mock classroom and a doctor\u2019s office set up opposite the House of Representatives. These are sectors where interns are least often paid.<\/p>\n

Financial stress<\/h2>

\u201cMany interns simply can\u2019t make ends meet\u201d, says Sarah Evink, chair of the Dutch National Student Association (ISO). \u201cWorking alongside a 40-hour-a-week internship is unfeasible, but this is the reality for many students. And it causes a great deal of mental and financial stress.\u201d<\/p>\n

Only 42 percent of senior secondary vocational education (mbo) students receive an internship allowance. Among students in universities of applied sciences (hbo) the figure is 75 percent. At research university level, 65 percent of compulsory internships are paid, and 91 percent of voluntary ones.<\/p>\n

Many political parties in the House of Representatives agree that things need to change. Volt, D66, SP, GroenLinks-PvdA, CDA, DENK, NSC and Partij voor de Dieren<\/em> all advocate a mandatory internship allowance for everyone in their election programmes. ChristenUnie and SGP also support an allowance, but only mention mbo students.<\/p>\n

Making it happen<\/h2>

During a debate on mbo education in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, education minister Gouke Moes (BBB) said he wants to make internship allowances mandatory. \u201cThe goal is very simple: we\u2019re just going to arrange internship pay for every intern\u201d, Moes said.<\/p>\n

There are still some \u2018practical issues\u2019 and \u2018conditions\u2019 that need to be looked into, such as when an intern only does one or two days a week rather than a full week. It is also still unclear exactly how Moes plans to enshrine the rule in law: \u201cThat could be done in various ways, for instance through education legislation or labour law.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the fact that we want to, is clear\u201d, he affirmed. He wants to present the outlines of the law to the House before the summer recess in 2026, but warned: \u201cI\u2019m also dependent on what the House decides during the coalition talks and elections.\u201d<\/p>\n

Starting with mbo<\/h2>

Will the obligation apply only to mbo students, or to all students, the SP wants to know. \u201cThis is about mbo first and foremost\u201d, says Moes. \u201cBut I want to explore whether the same approach can be taken in hbo and university education. I\u2019m not going to make promises I can\u2019t keep, but the ambition is to make this a broad arrangement.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re pleased to hear that the minister finally wants to implement this\u201d, ISO chair Sarah Evink responded. \u201cNow it\u2019s time to follow words with action. A mandatory minimum internship allowance really must be introduced.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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