Well now, what springs to mind on this subject is comparisons. What is described here by the author, is comparative to work for the dole schemes, and the myriad of other work experience "opportunities" (sic).
Higher education in Australia has become quite iniquitous, and totally self serving. Handing out four year work visas with optional citizenship to overseas graduates, on completion of a degree obtained at an Australian university, is not helpful to Australian born students when job hunting.
Australia is more and more about business, and nothing about consequences to its citizens.
The place has turned itself into a sick joke!
This example is simply more evidence of that situation to me.

These internships are not 'unpaid'. The internee is receiving jobseeker benefits paid by the taxpayer, or they are receiving an allowance from their babyboomer/Gen-X Mums and Dads.

The bosses who employ them are laughing all the way to the bank.

@ Big Nana, Your grandson did have a great luck anyway.

@Yuyutsu i think you have a nice point, i do not see that as slavery anyway, as long they are not force to do what they don't want to do.

From experience, young school leavers or graduates take a while to become productive and require the time of an experienced mentor. The greater the level of skill required the longer the time and cost of mentoring, and the greater value the intern garners.

If done properly, this process benefits both parties. However, there are instances where this is abused, and interns are simply used as cheap unskilled labor. I have no problem with naming and shaming these charlatans, and putting in place requirements such as a time limit, and job training, where if the employers don't meet certain requirements, that the interns receive minimum wages for their time.

However, one needs to be careful not to be too prescriptive or one will simply kill off the practise completely.

To much trust in employers ,they can not pay the right wages with out being stood over.