Council of Ministers approves the preliminary draft of the Statute for Interns

The Bill on the Statute for persons undergoing non-employment practical training aims to draw the dividing line between training activities and employment activities and disallows the use of trainee placements as low-cost labor or as a replacement for employees.

The Statute for Interns covers placements linked to vocational education and training, artistic or sports education, specialities within the National Employment System, and both curricular and extracurricular university placements. It requires an individual training plan, a direct link to the educational pathway, and specific supervision, and sets a maximum of five interns per supervisor and a cap whereby the number of interns cannot go above 20% of the workforce.

Individuals on placements will be entitled to rest periods, use of workplace services, protection against violence and harassment, and expense reimbursement.

Labor inspectors will have access to documentation, and specific inspection actions are envisaged, together with the creation of a monitoring committee at companies.

The preliminary draft must go through the Spanish Parliament (Cortes Generales) for approval and may undergo changes during that process.

Read the full news item from the Communications Office of the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy here.