Ethical and professional standards for interns in A+D practices Ethical and professional standards for interns in A+D practices By Share Many jobs require, or expect, some form of apprenticeship as a sort of interim between academic training and being fully qualified for the profession. Whether we call them apprentices, interns or articling students, in each of these cases, the individual expects to be paid. However, in many settings, interns are unpaid, leading to an inequitable playing field. According to a Forbes 2018 article, people of colour, LGBTQ and other marginalized people are less likely to be able to afford to work for free to gain work experience. While work experience is valuable, an exception in the Ontario Employment Standards Act (ESA) notes that unpaid internship is illegal, unless “the person providing the training derives little, in any, benefit from the activity of the individual while he or she is being trained.” This is, arguably, subject to interpretation.