The European Youth Forum has launched an Employers’ Guide to Quality Internships, the “how-to guide” for establishing schemes that aim to address and increase the quality of internships across Europe. The Guide is the outcome of a collaborative project led by the European Youth Forum involving Abbvie, Adecco Group, EPACA, EUK Consulting, Microsoft and TITAN CEMENT GROUP as partners.
The Guide outlines key criteria that make an internship a good experience for both the intern and the employer and is based on best practices and experiences from the collaborating organisations, sharing case studies and including innovative internship schemes which are already in place as well as “top tips” for creating similar good quality schemes.
The Guide was launched in Brussels at a reception hosted by the British Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and introduced by Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament and Marianne Thyssen, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility.
Internships have become the norm in Brussels, but often they do not provide educational experience. According to data from the European Commission, whilst almost half of Europe’s young people have done an internship, only one third of these were paid and 35% were not working under a contract. The European Youth Forum and its partners work towards making internships a valuable stepping stone into the workplace, rather than having young people being used to replace paid, entry-level jobs.
Johanna Nyman, President of the European Youth Forum, commented: “Interns are too often seen as free labour! That is why we are delighted to launch our Employers’ Guide, developed with employers and for employers to help tackle the current situation. We hope that many more organisations will follow the lead of those that have worked on the Guide to establish their own internship schemes which provide a good learning experience for young people and a stepping stone into the working world.”
Glenn Vaughan, CEO from the British Chamber of Commerce in Belgium, said: “We are committed to ensuring we offer quality internships, because it's good for our business and good for the people who work with us. This practical guide is a great way to help more companies offer great opportunities for young people.”
At the launch event, Adecco Group became the latest signatory of the Youth Forum’s European Charter for Quality Internships and Apprenticeships, which advocates for employers and politicians to commit to quality standards and to apply a clear and coherent code of conduct.
Mark De Smedt, Chief HR Officer, Adecco Group, said: 
“Quality internships provide young people with work experience and enable employers to build the workforce of today and tomorrow. As the global leader in HR solutions, we are proud to sign the European Quality Charter on Internships and Apprenticeships and to have contributed to the development of the Guide. They are both key to making internships successful for all and will assist like-minded companies, looking to act as good employers of interns. Adecco Way to Work™ 2015, our own initiative dedicated to improving the employability of young people through work-based training, also references the Guide’s principles”.