Student internships
Students required to do an internship for less than one year as part of a UK-based further or higher education course are not entitled to the National Minimum Wage.
School work experience placements
Work experience students of compulsory school age are not entitled to the National Minimum Wage.
Voluntary workers
Workers are not entitled to the minimum wage if both of the following apply:
they’re working for a charity, voluntary organisation, associated fund raising body or a statutory body
they do not get paid, except for limited benefits (for example reasonable travel or lunch expenses)
Work shadowing
The employer does not have to pay the minimum wage if an internship only involves shadowing an employee, meaning no work is carried out by the intern and they are only observing.