Charter raises the bar (From Western Telegraph)

Charter raises the bar

9:36am Monday 28th September 2009 in Jobs

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has launched the Internship Charter – a voluntary code of practice aimed at improving the quality of schemes – to support jobseekers, particularly graduates, and employers during these difficult economic times.

Given the commitment from the Government and business community to expand internships, the Charter is designed to encourage best practice and to ensure that increasing the quantity of work placements on offer does not reduce the quality of placements.

Tom Richmond, CIPD Skills Advisor said: “Our Internship Charter will offer organisations a way to provide interns with a genuine and worthwhile experience that enhances their skills and their overall employability, which will have important knock-on effects for UK businesses and the overall jobs market.

“There are many potential benefits for businesses of all sizes but only if it is of sufficient quality.

“Key skills like team working and project management are best developed in the workplace, which is why internships can be rewarding for both individual and employers.

“During these difficult times it is right for government to encourage organisations to offer internships, but we believe that our new code of practice should be adhered to, especially if interns are working for no salary.”

The charter’s six principles are: recruitment; induction; supervision; treatment; payment and duration; and certification/reference and feedback.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has more than 135,000 members and is the leading professional institute for those involved in the management and development of people.