Working as a counsellor
and a counselling student, I am greatly distressed for the growing problems
which results in unpaid placement in the system of education. The story of
Nariman Dein, a young ambitious psychologist, whose higher education was
interrupted by the necessity of taking up unpaid work placement positions,
highlights a deeper issue affecting students at multiple levels of study.
The 200 hours
of placements and 40 hours of supervision are much needed part of the
counselling educational programs. Nevertheless, this demand for counsellors who
are actively practicing and registered with counselling governing boards poses
a great challenge. The result of the study reveals that professionals who are
competitively committed will regularly achieve more than is expectant of their
supervisory hours before they enrol for the formal attachment (Smith et al.,
2020).
L lived through
the same situation as other students with social inequalities. The financial
pressure of unpaid internships is unreasonable and unfair which specifically
falls on the individuals who cannot afford to lose out on paid employment
opportunities. Research has shown that those who do unpaid placements have a
higher probability of dropping out of school or switching programs, while those
who experience financial difficulties also have a greater likelihood of
quitting or altering their program (Jessup et all 2022).
Furthermore,
the personal consequences of these obstacles are not overestimated. As shown by
the work of ( Hodge et al (2021) under-paying internships were associated with
increased anxiety, depression and burnout in students who were forced to work
there. The struggle to manage academic loads with pragmatic training needs and
financial restraints of students from homogenous backgrounds can lead to a
variety of mental health difficulties.
University
Accord' report (2022) drawn this very picture with "placement
poverty" phenomenon and that is why a systemic change is so much needed.
The report is focused on the funding of placements, especially the most
critical field of all, mental health counselling, where practice is pivotal.
As a proponent
for change in the counselling community, I encourage the stakeholders to see
the wider context of unpaid placements for students and its impact on their
well-being and professional development. A paid placement scheme not only
promotes diversity and inclusiveness but also allows prospective counsellors to
follow their dreams of higher education without worrying about financial
stability and mental health.
The bridge
between academic standards and real-world needs could enable the creation of an
educational terrain that supplies the children of the caring and competent
counsellors.
References:
Durack, K. T.
(2013). Sweating employment: Ethical and legal issues with unpaid student
internships. College Composition and Communication, 65(2), 245–272. https://doi.org/10.58680/ccc201324501
Hodge, L., Oke,
N., McIntyre, H., & Turner, S. (2021). Lengthy unpaid placements in social
work: Exploring the impacts on student well-being. Social Work Education,
40(6), 787–802. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2020.1736542
Jessup, B., Hoang, H., Podubinski, T.,
Obamiro, K., Bourke, L., Hellwege, B., Jatrana, S., Heaney, S., Farthing, A.,
Sheepway, L., & Rasiah, R. (2022). ‘I can’t go, I can’t afford it’:
Financial concern amongst health students undertaking rural and remote
placements during COVID‐19.
The Australian Journal of Rural Health, 30(2), 238–251. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.12855
Morley, C.,
Hodge, L., Clarke, J., McIntyre, H., Mays, J., Briese, J., & Kostecki, T.
(2023). ‘This unpaid placement makes you poor’: Australian social work
students’ experiences of the financial burden of field education. Social Work
Education, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2022.2161507
Smith, S.,
Smith, C., & Caddell, M. (2015). Can pay, should pay? Exploring employer
and student perceptions of paid and unpaid placements. Active Learning in
Higher Education, 16(2), 149–164. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787415574049
Nariman was
forced to give up her career dream because of this 'discriminatory' requirement.
University Accord Report. (2022). Addressing placement poverty: Recommendations for educational reform. https://www.education.gov.au/download/17995/australian-universities-accord-final-report-summary-report/36761/australian-universities-accord-final-report-summary-report/pdf
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