Trainees fear being turned into 'cheap labor'.

Every internship season, students eagerly look forward to leaving the lecture halls. But not everyone gets the experience they hoped for.

Some interns find opportunities, others become exhausted - Photo: AI

When real-world experience becomes a burden

HTTD - a third-year English language student at the University of Banking Ho Chi Minh City - once had a short internship at a real estate company in Thu Duc, and was promised a monthly allowance of 3 million VND.

"I worked all week during the summer break, from 8 am to 5 pm, and even worked on Saturdays. Every day I traveled from Bien Hoa to Thu Duc, about 15-17 km," TD recounted.

However, TD was abruptly terminated. Initially, the manager said she was "not qualified." TD found this reason unconvincing and messaged to clarify. A month later, her internship supervisor said they had "misheard" the manager's statement.

TD suspects the company intentionally terminated her employment early to avoid paying severance pay, as she had only worked for exactly 15 days.

When TD contacted them again to inquire, she received a message stating that the company "was unable to pay." They also cited the reason that TD "had not yet submitted her resignation" to delay payment, even though she had not signed an employment contract. After TD submitted her resignation letter as requested, the company remained silent and did not respond further.

TD shared that many young people applying for internships here also encountered similar "awkward" situations.

TD's main job during her internship was recruitment, specifically hiring sales staff to sell real estate by posting job ads on recruitment platforms like Facebook and Top CV. The target for an intern like TD was approximately 2-4 people per month.

NKH - a fourth-year student at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City) - had to end her internship early due to exhaustion.

The client interned at an organization that called a magazine, but actually operated as an event organizing unit, hoping to learn about content creation and communication. Although the job description was clear, the actual workload far exceeded the client's expectations.

Initially, the client only needed to come to the office 2-3 days a week, but due to the continuous events, the client was required to work the entire week like a full-time employee, sometimes even working until midnight and on both weekend days.

"I have to take on many roles, from writing content, finding news, designing images, to posting articles. Especially, I have to work with clients, support them with contracts, and often interact with 3-4 clients simultaneously to execute an event."

"When there are no events, I have to support filming sessions, including greeting guests, talking to guests, preparing equipment, and checking footage. When there are events, I handle logistics, carrying things, transporting items, ordering food, and even sitting at the reception desk," KH shared.

KH believes that the tasks he undertakes are no different from those of a full-time employee. However, the allowance is only 2 million VND/month, which is half the cost of living in Ho Chi Minh City.

The promises of "being officially hired if a position becomes available" are gradually becoming vague. "Some interns here have been working for 12 months and still haven't been officially hired," KH confided.

What are the regulations regarding internships?

MSc. Mai Hoang Phuoc - Photo: Provided by the interviewee

Lecturer Mai Hoang Phuoc (Faculty of Law, University of Economics and Law, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City) explained: “Current law, specifically the 2019 Labor Code, does not have a clear definition of the concept of student internships. Therefore, this activity is currently in a legal 'grey area,' which many businesses can exploit to save on personnel costs.”

According to him, the following three cases need to be distinguished:

If it's simply an "internship," students only observe and learn. The law does not require businesses to pay allowances, unless there is an agreement with the school or a specific policy.

If the trainees are "apprentices" and produce goods as stipulated in Article 61, Clause 2 of the Labor Code, the enterprise must pay them a salary for the value they create.

If it is "disguised labor," meaning students work as official employees, under management and supervision, then this relationship has the nature of labor. In that case, failure to pay wages violates Articles 90 and 91 of the 2019 Labor Code.

Therefore, businesses using the title of "intern" to avoid signing contracts, failing to pay wages, or not paying social insurance contributions is a violation of the law.

"When encountering problems during their internship, students should proactively communicate with their supervisor or the HR department, preferably via email to obtain evidence. They should also keep documents demonstrating they are working as a real employee, such as assignment emails, completed projects, and time sheets," Mr. Phuoc shared.

If the issue cannot be resolved, students should inform their supervising lecturer or the university's career support center for assistance.

"Most importantly, before starting an internship, you must thoroughly research the company, carefully read the agreement, and boldly refuse if you notice any signs of exploitation. Internships are for learning, not for being taken advantage of," Mr. Phuoc said.

VU HIEN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thuc-tap-sinh-so-bi-bien-thanh-lao-dong-gia-re-2025110912371859.htm