At a time when the architecture, engineering and construction industry is facing labor shortages and a growing skills gap, it’s pertinent that companies have established infrastructure for recruiting and retaining young talent. Internship programs can be a strategic solution to these challenges, but they must be designed with intention. Creating an effective internship program is not just about filling a gap today; it’s about nurturing the talent of professionals who will shape the future of the AEC industry.
Long-Term Talent Strategy, Not a Short-Term Fix
The most effective internship programs start with identifying a need and opportunity. Consider where interns are most needed, what skills are most in-demand and what benefits your company can offer to interns in terms of skills development, networking and long-term career opportunities.
Internship programs should be viewed as a long-term talent strategy, not a short-term fix. If your company is only focused on filling short-term needs or hiring interns for mainly administrative work, an internship program is likely not the right solution. They should instead be an investment in a company’s future that allows both the company and interns to build and foster strong connections early.
Developing a Program From Ground Up
Consider the following when building an effective internship program:
- Build a team: Build an internal team comprised of HR, division leaders, hiring managers and other stakeholders to determine where interns are most needed and what your company can offer them in return.
- Set goals: Outline clear objectives and goals for the program to ensure it addresses your business priorities and needs. Goals should be specific and measurable for both the company and interns to be able to easily track progress and performance. Learning how to set and evaluate goals is an important practice for young professionals to establish early.
- Appoint dedicated managers:Assign a dedicated managerto each intern to help guide their experience, track progress, and answer questions outside of their assigned divisions.
- Provide networking opportunities: Host events for interns to get to know each other and other employees with whom they wouldn’t typically interact on a daily basis. These moments offer interns an opportunity to grow their networks and for your company to showcase its culture.
- Focus on hands-on experience: Internship programs are an opportunity for young professionals and students to gain real-world experience in an industry and career they’re interested in pursuing. The best internship programs will focus on hands-on experiences, not busy work. Focus on creating an experience that blends field visits, project-based work, skills development exercises, mentorship and networking opportunities that allow them to apply what they’ve learned while also expanding their view into the future work they will do.
Building Relationships to Recruit and Retain Talent
You can design the best internship program possible, but without a way to connect with and recruit talented candidates, the program can’t be successful. Partnering with local universities and organizations can help you identify and engage with intern candidates. Like an internship program, these partnerships should be mutually beneficial.
Barge, for example, works with several universities by attending career fairs, sponsoring events for student chapters of organizations like the American Society of Civil Engineers and the National Society of Black Engineers, and coordinating office visits for students to learn more about the AEC industry. Barge employees also serve as guest speakers in classes, provide resume reviews, participate in mock interviews and support capstone projects. In return, Barge has the opportunity to connect with a cohort of students who are highly engaged and interested in building careers in AEC. The efficacy of these partnerships is exemplified in the makeup of this year’s internship class, which comprises 39 interns from 19 universities, filling roles across 13 different disciplines and spanning 14 office locations.
Consider taking a step further by exploring high-school programs as well. For example, Barge partners with Genesys Works, a nonprofit program that prepares high-school students for careers with training and placement in year-long corporate internships. Introducing young talent to the AEC industry early helps build relationships and positions companies as a valuable resource as they explore future paths.
Evolving and Scaling Your Internship Program the Right Way
As you consider opportunities to grow and improve your intern program, it’s helpful to return to the initial objectives and goals that were established at the beginning. Did the program achieve the objective? Did it meet or exceed your goals? If it did not, it may be time to re-evaluate the program.
Continuous improvement is key to creating a meaningful and effective internship program. Proactively seek feedback from interns, managers and division leaders to understand where the program is successful and where it needs improvement. Employ surveys and conduct regular check-ins throughout the program to gather insight into program satisfaction. It’s also beneficial to foster an environment that encourages input even outside of formal reviews. Candid feedback expressed in real time can often be more telling than more structured survey periods. Barge conducts a comprehensive survey at the end of each internship program to collect insights on the intern experience. The results inform evaluation of the program and shape strategy for improving where necessary.
As the industry evolves and the labor market fluctuates, employee expectations will also change. Companies must stay attuned to changing workplace models and preferences and adapt to ensure ongoing success. Stay on top of monitoring trends in compensation, program length and career development goals to remain informed with shifting demands and help maintain a competitive edge. As advanced technologies like AI become increasingly integrated in day-to-day work in the AEC industry, it’s important that internship programs reflect that, giving emerging talent the opportunity to learn and apply these technologies.
One of the best ways to measure if an internship program is successful is by the number of interns who return to your company. Barge records a 75% intern return rate and a 37% intern-to-full-time hire rate, with many staying with the company for decades—the CEO even began her career at Barge as an intern and is still with the company 30 years later.
Investing for the Future
When establishing and building an internship program, it’s important to consider all aspects of what makes a great program for both interns and your company. Internship programs that are used for short-term or primarily administrative tasks often fail to deliver strong results. To maximize impact, companies must create programs that allow interns to meaningfully contribute to a company’s objectives while building skills that will help shape their future in the industry.
When approached strategically, internships can become a powerful talent pipeline, helping companies address workforce shortages and close critical skills gaps in the AEC industry.
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