In my case the young intern comes in to learn computer system administration. At first his/her jobs consist of moving customers' computers to/from the parking lot and preparing the units for the main technician to have a look. He then gets to assist as requested by the tech.
It's also not uncommon for the intern to be running network cables in offices - sometimes maybe climbing a bit.
How could I not pay a stout young intern for doing all this physical labor, even while learning a more cerebral career path? It just wouldn't be right.
In that sense, I think you’re right, and maybe the term “intern” has multiple meaning. For example my father (who was a Union Electrician) always used to say, “You know what a pre-aprentice is: cheap labor.” (The essentially clean up the job site and ran and got tools and wire. Where we lived, for about $10.00/hour, as opposed to the $34/hr the Journeymen made, and the $15 or so the aprentices made).
Essentially, he said the pre-apprentices (or “go-fers”), go to be on the job and see if electrical work was what they wanted to do, and were paid, but only a nominal amount, more than minimum wage, but far less, and benefit-less. This was a job to the pre-apprentices, and a cost saving (in not paying journeymen wages to do the work) way to run the business (union in this case).
I think the difference here is between things like an engineering or legal intern or such, who doesn’t do a lot of that kind of labor, and basically does less difficult, less important work, learning the ropes as they go. I can see the merits of both viewpoints, but I would still maintain to keep the Government out of private business as much as possible. Government has proven time and time again to diminish the standard of living and economic state, I know of almost nothing they have improved, ever, and nothing they haven’t had a hand in and destroyed under this administration...except their own jobs and benefits...at the expense of the American taxpayer. If you know of something government has been able to improve, let me know, otherwise that alone may be a reason to take a hands-off position.
Please do if you personally please.
Obama eyes interns.
Ummmmm.
Maybe we need to get Obama an intern to distract him from all this ruining of the country he’s been doing...............................................................