NEXT PHASE OF OUR ‘PAY YOUR INTERNS’ CAMPAIGN TARGETS HIGH-PROFILE BRITISH BUSINESS OWNERS
Do Dragons’ Den judges Duncan Bannatyne, Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Theo Paphitis and Hilary Devey have interns working within their companies – and if so, do they pay them properly?
You’re about to find out. As part of our ongoing Pay Your Interns campaign, we have just sent emails to all five judges of the BBC show, asking them to clarify their policy on internships. We have also approached Sir Richard Branson, Sir Alan Sugar, Karren Brady, Jamie Oliver and Michelle Mone, to ask where they stand on the issue.
And we couldn’t resist dropping the email to our old friend – and former Dragon – James Caan, who we had a massive row with back in August 2010, over his advertisement for a three-month, full-time unpaid internship at his charitable foundation.
We have no idea how the recipients of our email will respond – but we are hopeful that these high-profile business personalities are good, responsible employers of young people. Whatever happens, we’ll be sure to keep you posted.
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*Do the Dragons have anything to hide?
Have you done an unpaid internship with any of the Dragons, Sir Alan Sugar, Sir Richard Branson, Karren Brady, Michelle Mone, Jamie Oliver – or any other high-profile business personality? Do you think that high-profile business people should set the standard when it comes to treating their young workers properly? Will you be disappointed if it turns out they don’t pay their interns properly?
Hilary Devey’s companies do not recruit interns. She has a graduate recruitment programme (one of the few in the transport sector)and has sponsored graduates to as far doctorate level. Her belief is that working for nothing does not produce results.
Thanks Robert, that’s great news – hopefully she’ll want to support our campaign!
How interesting! I used to intern for Peter Jones & Theo Paphitis at Red letter Days and was paid! – Thank God! They were really good about it! However, i did do an internship at BBC and wasn’t paid..:-( was v good tho!
Who on earth would want to intern for colloquial Barrow Boy, of the likes of Mr Alan Sugar – unfortunately, the pleb left school with a few mediocre graded O levels, failed to make the grade for A levels (let alone College or University Study), and demeaned himself even further by suggesting that “he would have to be barmy to recruit women of child bearing age”.
There’s no need to get personal about people coming from working class backgrounds
“Who on earth would want to intern for colloquial Barrow Boy, of the likes of Mr Alan Sugar — unfortunately, the pleb left school with a few mediocre graded O levels, failed to make the grade for A levels (let alone College or University Study”
So he didn’t even attend sixth-form and he’s doing better than 99.99% of graduates. I’m sure he’s gutted about those O levels seeing as they don’t seem to have been any hindrance to his success.