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Summer is the peak season for student internships. Many students gain experience and improve their employability through summer internships. However, some intermediary agencies charge students high fees under the banners of "guaranteed internship opportunities", "remote internships" and "internal referrals from famous companies", but fail to provide internship positions that match their promises. Some intermediary agencies also engage in fraudulent behavior, forging internship certificates and recommendation letters, burying hidden dangers for students' future career development. Some agencies even charge tens of thousands of yuan to promise to recommend internship positions, but end up running away with the money. Such paid internship chaos has aroused social concern.

Behind the chaos of paid internships is an employment problem that cannot be ignored. In the context of increasingly fierce competition in the current job market, internship experience has become an important way to improve employment competitiveness. However, transparent and open internship recruitment channels are difficult to meet actual needs, and there is an imbalance between supply and demand for internship positions. "Paid internships", "high-priced internships", "paid internal referrals" and other methods have taken advantage of the situation.

College students and university graduates have limited knowledge of employers' recruitment processes and job positions, and lack effective guidance. Some unscrupulous intermediaries take advantage of this information gap, exaggerate the role of "paid internships" and "internal referral internships", and mislead students and parents. At the same time, the recruitment process of some companies is still not transparent and standardized, which also provides opportunities for some unscrupulous intermediaries.

To rectify the chaos of paid internships, we must first strengthen supervision. Previously, the Ministry of Education had issued a document to clarify that it is strictly forbidden to entrust intermediary agencies or individuals to organize and manage student internships, and it is not allowed to charge students fees in violation of regulations. In this regard, relevant departments should strengthen supervision, impose severe penalties on intermediary agencies and employers that violate laws and regulations, and at the same time increase the crackdown on intermediary agencies that commit fraud and increase the cost of violations.

Paid internships also reflect the problem of insufficient supply of high-quality internship opportunities. Internships are an important preparatory step for job hunting. Colleges and universities and relevant departments should face up to students' demand for high-quality internship positions, strengthen employment services, promote cooperation between colleges and employers, and provide students with more real and reliable internship and employment opportunities by establishing internship bases to directly connect with employers.

For employers, providing internship opportunities for students is also a way to build up their own human resources team. Paid internships not only hurt students, but also damage their own image. Employers should establish an internship recruitment mechanism that is highly consistent with the long-term talent development plan, improve the recruitment process, strengthen internal management, and prevent employees from improper cooperation with intermediary agencies. For example, a strict recruitment supervision mechanism should be established to severely punish employees who violate the rules.

For students who need internships, they should enhance their awareness of prevention, understand the risks and irrationality of such payment behaviors, and avoid being deceived. Compared with internship experience, one's own professional level is more important. Therefore, college students should pay more attention to industry trends in their daily studies, as well as focus on improving their professional abilities and constantly sharpening their core competitiveness, so that they can "take" internship opportunities when they come. (Source: Economic Daily, author: Li Yanzhen)