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PRH UK to pay work experience participants

Penguin Random House (PRH) UK will pay work experience participants the national living wage of £262.50 (A$446) per week in an effort to boost accessibility and diversity in the publishing industry, reports the Bookseller.

The publisher says the initiative will make it the first publishing house in the UK to offer fully paid work experience placements. Previously, participants in PRH UK’s two-week work-experience program received only travel and food expenses.

PRH UK is also trialling subsidised accommodation for work experience participants based outside of London.

PRH UK CEO Tom Weldon said the publisher ‘[wants] to be open to the very best talent, regardless of background’. ‘Through meaningful and paid work experience, we hope to open the door to the next generation of passionate and creative young people, helping them to establish their careers, and develop a skilled pipeline of future talent.’

Participants in the publisher’s internship program, which is based on an application and interview process rather than the ‘randomly selected’ work experience program, are already paid.

 

Category: International news