Testimonials from Employers:
“Our interns have always been paid, and that’s how we ensure motivated, hard-working, and dedicated employees. An employer who doesn’t pay an intern is being foolish about their own interests and unethical with the student’s interests.”
Bruce MacLellan, APR, FCPRS, President & CEO, Proof Strategies
“Everyone working at an agency should be paid. Full stop. Interns are practitioners in training, and they bring valued support, new thinking, and ideas to an agency. They play an important role in keeping the agency thriving. Frankly their roles are as valuable as the one I’m doing! “
Linda Andross, ABC, MC, Co-owner/Managing Partner, APEX PR + ruckus Digital
Supporting Talent from Day One. Even before today’s economic challenges, North financially supported student interns, who we consider an integral part of the team. Paid internships are in our DNA, because rewarding hard work and paying a fair salary is just one small way that that we can show up for our team.
Sarah Stewart-Browne, President, North Strategic
We know from our research that financial barriers have historically impeded diverse talent from entering our field, and that we have a long way to go before we have a truly diverse and inclusive field. For this reason, we are taking tangible steps to bring about change for a more diverse industry. We believe that our involvement to eradicate the practice of unpaid internships is one of such efforts that will benefit of not only our organization, but the PR/ marketing sector overall.
Bianca Boyd, Interim CEO, Edelman Canada
Testimonials from interns & past-interns:
“Being paid during my full-time internship this summer simply meant that I could meet my program's requirements. If my internship was unpaid, I would not have been able to pay my rent, bills, or any of my upcoming tuition expenses for the next semester. A paid internship removed many barriers I would have faced if I had not been compensated for my work. Knowing that the company I worked at valued me enough to pay me an hourly wage made me feel confident and appreciated on a human level. A paid internship allowed me to learn and grow in my career with the peace of mind that other aspects of my personal life were taken care of.”
Sarah Ray, 2022 Bachelor of Public Relations (BPR) student
“As a full-time student, I often manage schoolwork and my part-time job to pay for the program. During my internship, I was fortunate that not only was it paid, but as a bonus, they covered my transportation. This form of financial security meant I could do my best while working for them without worrying about not affording the increasing cost of necessities. Hence, I believe in paying interns so that others can excel in their chosen fields and be adequately compensated for their time.”
Tristan Bailey-Gonzalez, 2022 Bachelor of Public Relations (BPR) student
As someone who has had a job since high school, I know what it means to work hard while getting paid to do it. Going after the internship of my dreams meant no different. A paid internship is a gateway to getting hands-on experience in the industry as well as the workings of adult life. Getting paid for the work I did placed value and ownership on anything completed. It not only gave me an inside look at what matters to a company, but I felt more inclined to be productive, take initiative and expose myself to more opportunities. Companies that offer paid internships care about the people they bring to their team, and it creates a seamless pipeline for students who are ready to get back out there and finished what they started. Being provided with the best resources that were aligned with how the world works, created room for me to have the best internship experience for a fourth-year public relations student.
Shania Simon, 2022 Bachelor of Public Relations (BPR) student
“As a former unpaid intern at another organization, I know the unfair challenges of needing a paid position on top of working a full-time internship. I’ve had the privilege of working with and learning from talented paid interns at Proof Strategies. Unpaid internships need to end, all interns deserve to be paid for their valuable contributions to our industry.”
Sarah H., Senior Consultant, Proof Strategies