The boss of Muffin Break has been forced to apologise after she claimed young people are no longer willing to work for free.

Muffin Break General Manager Natalie Brennan was slammed last week after she said social media has given millennials an “inflated” sense of self-importance.

Ms Brennan said young people are no longer asking to do free work experience, but has since backtracked on her comments.

Ben Fordham says got his start in the media industry through an unpaid internship at Radio 2UE, and hires most of his producers in the same way.

“What’s wrong with working for free in order to get ahead?”

But Tony Shepherd, former president of the Business Council of Australia, tells Ben he doesn’t agree that young people don’t work hard.

“The millennials I know all seem to be keen to get out there and do something.

“The wider problem, Ben, is the tertiary system in Australia is turning out a lot of kids that are just not work ready.”

Click PLAY below to listen to the full interview

The Big Guns, Peta Credlin and Graham Richardson, weighed in on the topic.

Ms Credlin tells Ben Fordham, interning at a media organisation is different from retail.

“They can exploit young people because they want to have them on junior wages.

“Your producers out there, or people helping on an internship, are not necessarily making you money in the till like Muffin Break would be making off of these young people.”

Click PLAY to hear the full segment… skip to 6m 30s for Muffin Break