The Local Government Internship program provides funding for municipalities and regional districts within Northern Development’s service area to assist with the cost of hosting a local government intern for a 12-month period.

The internship program provides a high level of professional development and training that will prepare recent graduates for a career in local government.

Objectives 

The objectives of the Local Government Internship in Canada are

• Accelerate operational learning and permanent career placement in local government
• Provide results-focused professional training with Northern Development Initiative Trust and host communities
• Make local government career of choice by financially supporting internship opportunities for post-secondary graduates
• Promote career development, advancement opportunities and quality of life in Northern B.C.
• Help interns develop competencies essential to local government administration

 Benefits

The benefits of joining the Local Government Internship are

• The successful candidates will receive up to $30,000 as an intern.
• Also, the organizers require the host communities to provide a minimum of $10,000 toward the salary of the intern to support a minimum base salary of $40,000.
• Similarly, the local government must pay statutory benefits that include CPP, EI premiums and 4% vacation pay (or provide vacation days) in addition to the salary and may choose to offer additional benefits (medical, dental, etc.) to the intern
• Additionally, there is a $5,000 allowance to support registration and travel costs related to training and professional development for the intern.
• Also, participation in the Municipal Administrators Training Institute (MATI) Foundations course is a requirement of the internship. Northern Development will pay the MATI registration fee. Furthermore, the remaining balance of the training and travel allowance can be used to support further training and professional development opportunities.

Eligibility Criteria

The applicants must meet the following requirements to participate in the internship program

• They must demonstrate a willingness to provide training in, and exposure to, a range of local government duties/responsibilities
• Also, they must submit a  12-month work plan with the application, that demonstrates exposure to multiple departments and proposed projects to be undertaken by the intern
• Similarly, they should also submit a position description with the application
• Additionally, the candidates must demonstrate organizational commitment to the vision and goals of the program

For more details about the program, click here.