Regulating internships in active labour market programmes: A comparative perspective

Internships (also known as traineeships) undertaken as part of active labour market programs (ALMPs) should play an important role in effectively transitioning unemployed jobseekers into the modern workforce. However, concerns have arisen across the globe about whether these arrangements provide interns with appropriate workplace rights and protections and whether they adequately ensure a high quality training experience. This chapter provides an analysis of the range of approaches to the regulation of ALMP internships in seven countries: Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, Germany, South Africa and the United States. In particular, the chapter explores the extent to which these countries regulate ALMP internships for the purposes of their labour, anti-discrimination, occupational health and safety, and workers compensation standards, before turning to examine the regulation of the quality aspect of these arrangements. The chapter concludes by considering some minimum expectations and principles which should guide the design of laws that regulate ALMP internships.