One in five students has worked illegally in the past year unaware that employers could be operating illegally by offering unpaid work placements, according to a nationwide study of 1,892 students commissioned by student jobs provider www.studentgems.com.

The study shows that one in five students had worked for free within the last year to improve their employability, while 86% of students were not aware that by offering unpaid placements their employer may be in breach of employment rules.

Sue Harrison, co-founder of studentgems.com, says: “It seems that many employers are either unaware of the law related to unpaid work experience, or are exploiting young people who are attempting to give themselves a leg-up the employment ladder by gaining vital experience.”