À procura de um “trabalho” de estágio

: reflexão sobre um mercado de trabalho em mudança

Abstract

Young people tend to be more affected by the negative consequences of the labor market flexibility (Kovács, 2013). One of the results of this labor market flexibility (and casualization) is the emergence of the situation that was proposed to be studied: unpaid extracurricular internships. This thesis, and the research undertaken, aim to explore the reasons why individuals consent to perform an unpaid job under an internship agreement, after concluding their academic education.,. Since it is a first approach to a phenomenon that has gained momentum in the country, the study is quantitive-oriented and involved the participation of 53 trainees and former trainees, aged between 20 and 36 years old (A = 24.68), who responded to a questionnaire designed for this purpose, based on both literature and field observation. As main findings, it is possible to highlight two key aspects: on the one hand, it became clear that it the debate on this phenomenon is essential; without it, a path will be constructed under the assumption that both job instability and insecurity is normal and will hence continue to describe career paths for a number of young people. On the other hand, a common focus was observed regarding the reasons behind the acceptance of an unpaid extracurricular internship as, in fact, most of the motives presented lead to the same goal: find a relatively stable and wellpaid job. To that end, it is fundamental to attend to these young people, their professional careers and working conditions, thus requiring analysis and consideration on the official job market statistics and results. In this sense, the role of the scientific community is key in the construction of meanings and knowledge about this type of working situation, also in view of an increased regulation.

Date of Award	8 Jul 2013
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Liliana Cunha (Supervisor)