Undergraduate Student Internships
Build a Diverse Local Pipeline
Host a Business, Computing, and/or Engineering Intern at No Cost to Your Company
The San Diego Regional EDC and Imperial EDC (Economic Development Corporations), in partnership with the K-16 Collaborative Grant, are recruiting local companies to provide work-based learning opportunities for undergraduate college students at no cost to employers!
Undergraduate College Student Internship Program
Summer 2026
The Need
Only 6% of Californians have participated in a paid internship, and only 15% participated in an internship at all. Women (4%), Black (5%), Latino (4%) and Native American (0%) students were less likely than their peers to complete a paid internship, as were first-generation learners (4%). –Inside Higher Ed, October 28, 2024
Help Build a Diverse Local Pipeline
Need more skilled employees? Our students need experience! Let us help you source talent from local San Diego and Imperial County colleges. Support regional efforts to build a diverse local talent pipelines in business, computing and engineering sectors.
The Summer Internship Program is Back with the San Diego Regional EDC!
The San Diego Regional EDC will be continuing the Advancing San Diego (ASD) internships in 2026. Please click the link below to complete the interest form. The host/company applications will open January 7, 2026. They will send a link and next steps to everyone who has completed the interest form or hosted interns in previous years.
Great talent starts at home. Advancing San Diego’s paid internship program helps under-resourced post-secondary students gain the professional experience employers value most, while supporting small, local companies that are essential to our region’s economic strength. By reducing barriers to relevant work experience, the program expands access to socio-economic mobility and helps build a more inclusive, future-ready talent pipeline for San Diego.
We invite your organization to support this effort. The San Diego Regional EDC is currently leading a giving campaign to expand high-quality internship opportunities for local students. All contributions are tax-deductible and directly support regional talent development.
Please note that financial support does not guarantee intern placement at your organization.
If your organization has entry-level or paid internship opportunities available throughout the year, we encourage you to share them with the San Diego Regional EDC for The Lead Jobs Newsletter. These roles can be featured in EDC’s monthly jobs newsletter, distributed on the first Saturday of each month, to help connect local talent with meaningful career opportunities.
EDC also curates a newsletter highlighting mid-career roles. If you are hiring for positions requiring five or more years of experience, you are welcome to submit those openings as well.
2026 Work Site Application
The Application will Open January 7
Resources from Last Year
Work Site Internship Program Flyer
Work Site Agreement Template – this agreement must be signed by the work site, the student, and the Employer of Record (Manpower)
Work Site location reference map (view to help identify where you’re located. When applying for jobs, students will select work site locations in North SD County, Central, East, South, and Imperial County)
Job Description Templates:
- Business
Business Administration (includes accounting, finance, HR)
Business Operations (includes general front/back office, customer service)
Marketing & Communications - Computing
IT Support Technician / Desktop Support Technician
Network and Systems Administrator
Software Developer / Software Engineering
Cybersecurity Analyst / Information Systems Analyst - Engineering
Assembler
Engineering Technician
General Engineering
Offer Letter Templates:
LinkedIn Offer Letter
Basic Offer Letter
Sample Internship Offer Letter
How to Write an Offer Letter
Special Hiring Criteria – Work sites will be asked to manage and cover the cost of all special hiring criteria requirements. This includes LiveScan, background check, drug screen, etc. The Work Site is required to provide pass/fail results to the K-16 Team before the student intern may start work at the work site. Please keep in mind, if a student is required to complete a LiveScan, background check and/or drug screen, it can take up to 2 weeks to receive the results.
College Students are Recruited from Verified Programs
Local college students enrolled in these Verified Programs from Community Colleges, California State University San Marcos (CSUSM), San Diego State University (SDSU), or University of California San Diego (UCSD) are eligible to apply for an internship in Summer 2025.
What does it mean to be a Verified Program? Find out here.
What are your student candidates learning in the classroom? Learn more about the verified programs at the colleges that your student candidates are enrolled in.
Do you have positions that we couldn’t support this year?
There are also college contacts listed so you can reach out to fill them.
Examples of Student Intern Positions
Business
- Business Administration (includes accounting, finance, HR)
- Business Operations (includes general front/back office, customer service)
- Marketing & Communications
Computing
- IT Support Technician / Desktop Support Technician
- Network and Systems Administrator
- Software Developer / Software Engineering
- Cybersecurity Analyst / Information Systems Analyst
Engineering
- Assembler
- Engineering Technician
- General Engineering
Program Contacts
Questions about the Internship Program?
Christine Jensen, Director K-16 Collaborative
Questions about how to get involved in employer-led collaboratives?
Bridgette Coleman at the San Diego Regional EDC
Sean Wilcock at the Imperial Valley EDC