Dishwashing Is Not an Internship

But John-Carlo Felicella, head of Vancouver Community College’s culinary arts department, said interns often have no prior restaurant experience and internships provide them with a way to find out if they’re cut out for the industry.

“Even dishwashing, it’s education,” he said. “It’s a lower-end job, but from there it stems to many other things.”

CBC News reports that a hotel in Vancouver offered unpaid internships to young people interested in a culinary career. “As a Busperson, you will take pride in the integral role you play in supporting your Food and Beverage Colleagues and ‘setting the stage’ for a truly memorable meal,” the ad read. Um, yeah, sorry but bussing tables and washing dishes is not an internship — it’s unpaid labor. And shame on Vancouver Community College for defending the unpaid internship. Dishwashing is not an education (it’s replacing a regular staff member) and since it’s a “lower-end job” it should get at least the minimum wage any job deserves. One of the few experiences I’ve had in the back of a kitchen was washing cafeteria trays at an elementary school and it was pretty grueling. It was also a job. [Thanks to Alanna for the story link.]

Photo: Nate Grigg

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