Almost 6 years ago, I discovered a disheartening reality: Many social work internships were unpaid. This realization struck me not only as unfair, but as a massive hurdle for young professionals working tirelessly to improve society.

In an era of escalating living costs, and considering the importance of social workers in the fabric of our community, it's unthinkable that these internships remain unpaid. Moreover, non-profit organizations, who are prevalent employers in this sector, are known to be resource-strapped, yet they are expected to train tomorrow's professionals for free. This largely undercuts the spirit of fairness, equitability, and indeed, the very social justice that social work espouses.

Statistics show that in the U.S, social work professionals are expected to increase by 13% from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Concurrently, there's a growing student debt crisis in America, with total debt reaching $1.6 trillion in 2020, according to data from the Federal Reserve.

Considering these numbers, it's clear that not providing adequate compensation for interns will only exacerbate wealth inequality among social work professionals, creating a class of exploited young professionals.

We cannot afford to punt the potential of upcoming professionals, particularly in a sector as vital as social work. It's clear that legislative action must be taken to ensure all internships in this sector are paid.

Please sign this petition to help secure a fair start for social work students. Let's make all social work internships paid. Together, we can usher in change.