The knock-on effect of recession means graduates aren't just competing for entry-level jobs against experienced workers: they’re now competing against them for internships too.

While the concept of today’s graduates doing internships is a much-debated issue, a more worrying trend established in the US appears to be gaining headway this side of the pond: interns (or their parents) who pay large sums of money to secure unpaid work placements.

Yesterday (22 Sept), The Times published a letter from a number of groups arguing that all unpaid internships are exploitative.