We provide a plug-and-play model that provides structure and support, while being flexible to fit your needs and schedule. We want to help you build an internship at your organization that is beneficial to your organization, your employees and the intern(s). We host optional monthly employer workshops, on-call support, templates, and tools to make hosting an intern smooth and successful.

No. We handle the screening and placement process and will match your organization with students who align with your needs, schedule, and culture. However, the employer and intern can still meet before things are finalized to ensure it is a good fit for both parties.

Our intern placement process is designed to ensure the best possible match between students and host organizations. It begins with a comprehensive application that gathers detailed information about the student’s interests, skills, career pathway, availability, and more.

After the application is submitted, CTE Foundation and the Sonoma County Office of Education meet individually with each student to dive deeper into these areas, assess their readiness for an internship, and provide coaching and support as needed.

Once we identify a strong potential placement, we work closely with both the student and the employer to confirm it’s the right fit. Students and employers will have the opportunity to connect and meet in advance to ensure mutual alignment before the internship is finalized.

Internships will begin in the Spring semester, with most placements starting in January or February 2026.

Internships require a minimum of 40 hours total over the course of the spring semester (January–May). You can structure the schedule based on your capacity.

Yes! In fact, it is encouraged!

Hosting multiple interns at the same time can enhance the experience for both the students and your organization. Interns benefit from peer support, increased confidence, and the opportunity to collaborate and learn together, while employers can streamline training and mentorship by working with a group.

A paid intern can contribute meaningful work that adds value to an organization while gaining hands-on educational experience. This intern is compensated for their time and treated as a temporary employee, which typically involves payroll, time tracking, and compliance with labor laws.

An unpaid intern’s tasks can complement but cannot displace the work of paid employees, and must be centered on providing a learning benefit to the intern (similar to a job shadow). The intern does not receive wages and the experience must be structured primarily as a learning opportunity that benefits the student.

This does not apply to nonprofit organizations who, similar to a volunteer experience, can receive value-added work from an unpaid intern.

CTE Foundation and SCOE recommend internships be paid whenever possible to promote equity by ensuring that all students—regardless of their financial background—can afford to participate. Paid internships also provide provide a more authentic, real-world experience to the intern and a valuable work output for the employer.

CTE Foundation and SCOE recommend paying an intern at least minimum wage or more to show the intern that their time and efforts are of value to the employer. However, employers can pay a minor less than minimum wage through a “learner” exception. This allows for a reduced wage (85% of the minimum wage) for the first 160 hours of work if the minor lacks previous experience in the specific job. However, after 160 hours, the minor must be paid the full minimum wage.

The projects and tasks that the interns do are different for every employer. To help build this, consider three different structures to implement: 

1. Rotational: The rotational internship structure offers dynamic and comprehensive exposure to different roles and departments within the organization. Interns on this track benefit from a well-rounded perspective, honing versatile skills, and exploring the different roles and career paths within the organization. This approach encourages adaptability and a holistic understanding of business operations. This is one of the best ways to help interns explore the variety of roles within a particular organization or industry.
2. Role-Specific: Internships can be focused within a specific role or department, allowing interns to delve deeply into a field if interest, gaining specialized expertise and contributing meaningfully to the team’s objectives. This approach fosters a strong sense of ownership and mastery.
3. Project-Focused: A project-focused internship assigns interns to an important project to complete within the internship timeline. This approach grants interns a heightened sense of responsibility as they work on a real-life project with tangible impacts on the organization. Simultaneously, it brings fresh, diverse perspectives that can kickstart new or postponed projects and strategies.

Yes. To ensure a safe and supportive environment for youth, the direct supervisor or mentor who will be working closely with the intern is required to complete a fingerprint-based background check. This is especially important for minors and aligns with best practices and school district policies. 

This is easier than it sounds and we will make sure to help every step of the way! 

Youth interns generally do not meet the legal definition of an independent contractor under federal or California law. Paid interns are typically trained, supervised, and given assigned tasks and schedules – factors that legally classify them as employees, not contractors. They are not operating an independent business of their own.

Paying a youth intern via 1099 also removes important worker protections, including minimum wage, workers’ compensation coverage, and payroll tax contributions, creating significant legal and financial risk for the employer.

For these reasons, paid youth interns must be paid as W-2 employees. If a placement cannot meet W-2 requirements, it must instead be structured as a compliant unpaid educational internship – not a 1099 role.