In a press release drafted by the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) outlined the release of “Youth Employment: Re-imagining the link between learning and labour.”

The document outlines steps the Ontario government should take to address the unemployment rate in the province.

“The proliferation of unpaid internships and a high provincial youth unemployment rate indicate that there is a pressing need for the government and universities to address these issues,” said Amir Eftekarpour, president of the OUSA. “A rise in unpaid work is symptomatic of many of the challenges youth face in attending post-secondary and successfully making the transition into the labour market.”

“Youth Employment” looks at approaches to addressing unemployment, increasing access to university for the disadvantaged, promoting and supporting work-integrated learning and entrepreneurship as well as protecting students from “unfair” unpaid internships.

“Students are calling on the province to better enforce the Ontario Employment Standards Act to protect them from unfair, unpaid work, while also including provisions that support those meaningful, unpaid positions tied to academic study,” said Eftekarpour.

The Toronto Star published a story on October 17 that also outlined the atrocity of unpaid internships.

According to Ontario's labour ministry office, the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) defines a worker as “a person who performs work or supplies services for monetary compensation.” Such definition excludes unpaid interns.

Labour Minister Yasi Naqvi said this aspect is now being reconsidered.