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SHANGHAI: Many students in China travel around the country in search of internships, often enlisting the help of agents who promise them factory jobs in the city. However, some who make the journey, arrive only to get a rude shock.
Two hundred university students from Hunan endured an eight-hour train ride to Shanghai, only to discover their agent had gotten them jobs at a factory in Kunshan instead.
On top of that, their monthly salary would be lower - by about US$60.
Feeling cheated, the 19-year-old students decided to stay put and look for jobs here on their own.
The agent's explanation was that the factories were full. He refunded their train fare, but students said they did not get back their US$8 registration fee.
Students are advised to sign contracts with the agents. Details such as pay, job scope, working hours and environment should also be clearly discussed before they travel to the cities.
Schools should also screen agents properly.
"For example, the labour law states that they work eight hours a day, with a maximum of three hours overtime. But in some companies, overtime exceeds 3 hours. We will definitely not go to such companies," said Mr Wu Guo Zhen, a teacher with 10 years of experience placing students on internship programmes.
While schools believe that the internship experience is important to student development, the work environment and welfare packages they get, can be less than satisfactory.
- CNA/cc
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