Unpaid practicums impose stress and financial burden on Queen’s students.
In May, I completed a 120-hour practicum with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) as part of the requirements for the Queen’s Concurrent Education program.
The same month, on May 16, the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) celebrated a landmark achievement: the successful lobbying for paid placements for social work students in Australia.
The Australian Council of Heads of Social Work Education, which represents 38 universities, highlighted the significance of this move, stating, “social work placements, alongside teaching and nursing, have been recognized as an equity issue in feminized professions where many students, both urban and rural, face significant disadvantage.”
This acknowledgment reveals a broader systemic issue tied to the undervaluation of work in so-called “feminized” professions—fields traditionally dominated by women. It reflects the historical and cultural biases that permeate work associated with caregiving and education: despite their critical role in society, these sectors are underpaid and overlooked.
The lack of compensation for placements in feminized professions only deepens this inequity. At Queen’s University, female-dominated faculties like Nursing and Education list placement hours as a graduation requirement. While these mandatory placements are promoted as invaluable learning opportunities—which they undoubtedly are—their value comes at the cost of imposing significant stress on students.
In May, as I anxiously awaited news of my placement, I worried about scrambling to book last-minute train tickets and securing accommodation for the month-long stay. Many of my peers faced similar challenges, being placed far from home and forced to endure long commutes, often incurring steep travel and gas costs.
Students are forced to absorb the costs of completing mandatory hours, all while navigating the already high financial burden of post-secondary education. Unpaid placements, particularly those during the summer, add further financial strain, as students must forgo valuable earning opportunities to fulfill unpaid practicum requirements—an obligation that leaves them with little choice or flexibility.
Many Queen’s students like myself have missed out on hundreds of potential working hours to fulfill required practicums, leaving us to question whether the financial and time burdens of the program are truly sustainable.
Over the past three years, I have completed 320 hours of practicum placements in various classroom settings, each with its unique demands and challenges. Despite the considerable time, effort, and personal funds I’ve dedicated to these placements, none of this work has been compensated. As I approach my fifth and final year of the ConEd program, I hold little hope of being able to balance even a part-time job alongside my studies and practicum requirements.
However, the recent success of the Australian Association of Social Workers provides a glimmer of hope.
Their progress suggests that Canadian public service organizations, like the Ontario College of Teachers, might one day advocate for similar reforms, ensuring students receive the and compensation they deserve for their vital contributions.
If the Australian model were adopted in Canada, it could lead to better for future students with required placements, alleviating financial burdens and better preparing students for post-graduation success in the field they’ve worked hard to be a part of.
Natalie is a fourth-year Concurrent-Education Student and The Journal‘s Postscript Editor.
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