A student of Tianjin University seeks internship opportunities during a summer internship fair in north China's Tianjin Municipality, June 3, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]

SUMMER IS THE SEASON for internships, and many college students are interning in companies or governmental departments. However, some online shops are reportedly selling internship certificates to students who never actually do an internship. China Youth Daily comments:

Why are there people selling fake certificates?

The answer is simple. There is demand for them.

However, the practice has devalued internships, and led to more students opting to purchase a certificate as they do not see the need for an internship to prove their abilities and advantages.

But by not doing an internship students do not learn workplace etiquette. So by falsifying internship certificates, the students are actually cheating themselves. They do not gain any work experience and they do not get any pay.

However, a large number of college students appear to have purchased the false certificates.

Why?

The answer lies, first of all, with the colleges. The majority of colleges require their students to attend internships as a prerequisite for graduation, yet they seldom check the internship certificates that their students hand in.

Second, some college students falsify their internship experiences to make their resumes look better, in the hope of getting a better job on graduation.

To solve the problem of the fake internship certificates, colleges need to check the authenticity of the internship certificates handed in by students and punish those who buy false ones.

Besides, it is time for colleges to offer better guidance services to students seeking internships. For example, they could forge relationships with companies or governmental departments for internship positions, and help match them with students

Of course, the students' rights and legal interests must be fully protected during the process. Some vocational schools reportedly send their students to work in factories on very low wages. The factories derive additional profit in this way and transfer some of the profits to the colleges involved. This practice must be curbed.