Local Government Internship Program

Local Government Internship Program

Local governments are finding it increasingly difficult to train or attract skilled professionals who are interested in a career in local government. Over the next several years, the trend of senior local government staff retirements combined with the changing legislative landscape has put even more pressure on the local government system to find ways to recruit skilled professionals to the local government sector. Individually, many local governments (rural and smaller communities) lack the resources or capacity to tackle this issue on their own. In response to this, the Local Government Internship Program provides a system-wide approach to support local governments to navigate the challenges of recruitment and training while also highlighting the profession to new and emerging leaders.

Program Details

• Local governments in BC with a population of 25,000 or under are eligible to apply to host an intern.
• Local governments must be able to commit time and resources (funding and staff) to support an intern and demonstrate support from Council and Administration to host an intern.
• Local governments must provide experiential learning opportunities such as participation in projects and time to reflect on experiences through mentoring and coaching by the supervisor and other staff.
• Funding provided to successful hosts for intern compensation and training, and other support includes:
• $42,000 for intern compensation (salary, benefits, and payroll deductions).
• $5,000 for professional development, association membership fees, and travel costs to attend Internship workshop(s).
• Local governments are expected to financially contribute to the cost of hosting an intern including their salary and professional development opportunities (a minimum of $5,000 is required for salary, and $2,500 for professional development).
• Six internship opportunities (one per LGMA region) are available each year for a three-year period, including one intern position which will be administered in partnership with Northern Development Initiative Trust. Applicants for this region’s internship position must apply via the Northern Development website and adhere to their requirements, timelines, and procedures. For more information visit the Northern Development website.
• Interns and supervisors will receive support from the LGMA such as onboarding, resources, coaching, mentoring, and check-in meetings.

For more information about the program and/or to add your name to receive future notifications regarding host applications, contact Teressa Johnson, Program Manager at tjohnson@lgma.ca or (250) 383-7032 ext. 225