STEM jobs are expected to account for 25% of the total employment growth in the Commonwealth over the next ten years. High School internships can help students explore interests, gain skills for college and career, and prepare them for promising futures. High School students should connect with guidance counselors or parent/guardians to find out more about each opportunity.
STEM @ Work
Description: STEM@Work is designed to provide funding to MassHire Workforce Boards to optimize the process of connecting high schools to employers to provide students with the opportunity to experience and complete STEM-focused internships and simultaneously gain STEM skills and exposure to a variety of paid STEM career opportunities.
Employer partners agree to pay their hosted intern at a minimum of twelve dollars an hour and for a recommended 100-hour total experience.
Eligible Students: Any Massachusetts High School Students under the age of 18
Description: School to Career Connecting Activities is an initiative of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Connecting Activities provides youth with structured, paid and unpaid, internship and employment opportunities. Through this program, every employment opportunity is designed to provide optimal work-based learning experiences, with the goal of enhancing the student’s job performance and future employability.
Eligible Students: 9th – 12th graders
Description: YouthWorks is a state-funded youth employment program that helps teens and young adults get the skills and experience needed to find and keep jobs. Participants take part in paid short-term work placements during the summer and/or school year at public, private and nonprofit worksites.
Participants also receive training in core soft skills so they can practice professional behaviors and learn how to relate to supervisors and co-workers at their worksites. And they learn how to take the next steps in their education and career pathways. All YouthWorks programs use the Signal Success curriculum to help young people learn and practice the skills that matter at work, at school, and in life.
Eligible Students: age 14 - 21
Guidance Counselors/Guardians of Student Contact for More Information: Go to http://commcorp.org/programs/youthworks/ and search to find the local youth contact for your city or town.
Massachusetts Clean Energy Center; Vocational Internship Program
Description: The Massachusetts Clean Energy Vocational Internship Program (VIP) helps prepare the next generation of clean energy workers by funding internships for high school students at Massachusetts clean energy and water innovation companies.
Eligible Students: Currently enrolled students in a Massachusetts Chapter 74-approved vocational technical education program
Guidance Counselors/Guardians of Student Contact For More Information: Go to https://www.masscec.com/vocational-internship-program and have student follow prompts under “How Do I Apply?” section.
Massachusetts Life Sciences Center; High School Apprenticeship Challenge
Description: The High School Apprenticeship Challenge facilitates and funds paid internship opportunities for high school students throughout Massachusetts. The program also offers an after-school laboratory training program for select school districts to better prepare students for summer internships during the spring. The after-school/summer lab training program provides rigorous pre-internship biotechnology/biomedical and professional skills development for underrepresented and/or economically disadvantaged students.
The MLSC reimburses eligible host organizations for intern wages of $13 per hour, for a total reimbursement of up to $3,120 per intern, for six weeks of full-time work taking place between June and August.
Eligible Students: MA High School Student, must be at least 16 years old
Guidance Counselors/Guardians of Student Contact for More Information: Direct students to https://www.masslifesciences.com/funding-programs/high-school-apprenticeship-challenge-interns-eligibility-requirements-and-evaluation/ and have them follow the application instructions