An internship is a time-limited, structured work experience (often tied to a student’s academic or early-career goals) designed to provide exposure to an industry, role, and workplace practices, typically with learning objectives, supervision, and feedback.

Internships can occur during high school or postsecondary education as part of broader work-based learning programming, and they may be sponsored by schools or coordinated through partnerships with employers and other workforce stakeholders. Internships can also be offered outside educational institutions; for example, directly by employers or through intermediary platforms—rather than being tied to an academic calendar or for-credit coursework.

Internships can be paid or unpaid, may be part-time or full-time, and may offer academic credit depending on the school and program design. Typically, when internships offer academic credit, they are unpaid.

Internships are commonly operated (run day-to-day and funded/managed) by:

• Private-sector employers (companies of all sizes)
• Nonprofits (mission-driven organizations with capacity for supervision)
• Government agencies (local, state, federal offices and programs)
• Educational institutions (career services–coordinated placements, co-ops, practicum-style internships)
• Intermediaries/host partners (industry associations, workforce organizations, staffing/placement partners) that help source candidates and coordinate placements

Why they operate internships:

• Talent pipeline building (early identification and recruiting of future hires)
• Short-term capacity for projects or seasonal work (with training as a secondary goal)
• Workforce branding (improving visibility with students and early-career talent)
• Social impact and access goals (career exposure for underrepresented groups, community investment)
• Professional training (giving novices real-world practice in a lower-risk setting)
• Academic-to-career alignment (helping learners apply classroom knowledge)

Whether an internship is legally allowed to be unpaid depends on jurisdiction and facts (e.g., who primarily benefits, the structure of training, and whether it displaces paid work). When in doubt, organizations typically seek HR/legal guidance.

Examples:

• High school internships: Often embedded within industry-aligned high schools and pathway models, typically supported by employer partnerships and other work-based learning components.
• College internships: Commonly aligned to academic programs and may follow institutional schedules (e.g., semester-based experiences).
• Micro-internships: Short-term, project-based internships (often 10–40 hours) that can be offered year-round, may be remote, and typically require minimal employer overhead—used as a precursor or alternative to traditional internships and sometimes as skills-based hiring auditions.

Internships are often confused with apprenticeships.

An apprenticeship is an industry-driven, high-quality career pathway that combines classroom instruction with paid on-the-job experience, enabling individuals to earn a nationally recognized, portable credential; employers may register programs (e.g., in the U.S., with the Department of Labor) to signal they meet quality standards.

Practical way to choose between an internship or apprenticeship:

• An internship when the goal is exploration, building a resume/portfolio, or testing fit in a field.
• Apprenticeship when the goal is a paid pathway to a recognized occupational credential with a clearer training-to-job outcome.

Internship vs. Apprenticeship (key differences)

Related terms:

• Work-Based Learning (WBL)
• Industry-Specific High Schools
• On-the-Job Training (OJT)
• Intermediary Organization / Apprenticeship Intermediary

 See Topic Brief: Apprenticeship / Apprenticeships | Learn & Work Ecosystem Library