Clean Energy Internship Program
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Internship Program helps prepare the next generation of clean energy workers by funding internships for students and recent graduates at Massachusetts clean energy and water innovation companies.
The Summer 2022 Session is now closed. Enrollment for the Fall 2022 Session will open mid-July on our NEW website and workforce portal. Please check this website on July 11th for the new website and portal launch
Download a program summary.
IMPORTANT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM DATES
Open enrollment and intern selection for the Fall 2022 session will launch mid-July. Official program dates to be announced.
To participate in the program, students must attend, or have recently graduated within the past year from, a Massachusetts college or university, or they must be a Massachusetts resident, with proof of residency, who attended an out-of-state college or university. Students pursuing a master’s degree are eligible for this program, though Ph.D. candidates are not.
Returning students can access their student profiles using their existing login credentials. If you are a new student or need to renew your application, please follow the instructions below:
Step 1: Complete the online intern application, answering all required questions and uploading required documentation. You will then be visible in the student database and employers will be able to contact you.
Step 2: Reach out to employers you are interested in interning with and promptly respond to any employer communications you receive. Proactive students, by far, are the most likely to be placed into internships with host employers. The employer may contact you for a phone or in-person interview.
Step 3: If the employer wishes to take you on for the session, they will send you an offer letter to sign. You must return your signed offer letter to your employer, who will then submit it to MassCEC no later than the session deadline in order to have your funding reserved.
Massachusetts Clean Energy Internship Program Prospective Intern FAQs
Summer 2022 Session: May 16, 2022 – August 31, 2022
PROSPECTIVE INTERN FAQS
- What are the eligibility requirements for prospective interns?
Students will be required to meet the following eligibility requirements:
Must attend, or have attended:
- A college or university located in Massachusetts, or
- A college or university outside of Massachusetts, if the student is a Massachusetts resident and is able to present proof of residency.
Eligible students must meet one of the following:
- Students must have completed or will complete at least their freshman year of college the semester before the internship (24 Credits) or have graduated within the past year.
- If a student attends or attended a community college (or 2‐year associate program), the student must have completed at least 24 credits.
- Graduate students must be currently enrolled in their program or have completed it within the last year.
- If a student has attended a training program, that program must have been completed within the last year.
- Who is NOT eligible for this program?
Students who are not eligible to participate in this program:
- MassCEC does not fund existing interns that have been on payroll for greater than six (6)-weeks within the current calendar year at a Host Employer prior to the session’s start date
- Law School students, Ph. D. candidates, or students who have been previously enrolled or matriculated in a Ph.D. or Ed.D. program, are not eligible to participate in the program.
- Host Employers cannot hire the same intern(s) for sequential sessions. You will not be able to participate in this program with the same Host Employer for two sessions in a row.
- Current or previously terminated non-internship employees of the Host Employer are ineligible to participate in the Program for that Host Employer.
- Can I work for a relative?
Interns are not allowed to work for a Host Employer if they are the spouse, child, grandchild, sibling, niece, nephew, or spouse of a child, grandchild, sibling, niece, or nephew of ANY employee of the Host Employer.
- How do I increase my chances of being selected for an internship?
While hiring decisions rest solely with employers, proactive and detail-oriented students overwhelmingly end up being the ones to receive internships through the Program. It is suggested that you
- Ensure your submitted information in your application is accurate and up to date.
- Respond quickly to any communication received from interested employers or MassCEC staff.
- Reach out to clean energy employers in your area to let them know about the internship program and express your interest in interning for them over a session.
- What paperwork is required for a student to participate?
Interns that attend(ed) a Massachusetts college or university will be required to submit documentation that verifies enrollment and residency. Interns that attend(ed) out‐of‐state institutions must submit documents proving Massachusetts residency. Employers may require further documentation.
- What is the intern stipend and how will interns be paid?
Interns will be hired and paid directly by the Host Employer. The pay rate should be established prior to accepting the internship offer. Please be aware that Host Employers may pay an intern(s) more than the subsidy rate of $16/hr. Employers are not allowed to pay an intern less than Fifteen Dollars ($15.00) per hour. Please be sure you are aware and agree to the terms of the internship before starting any work.
For more detailed FAQs, click here
If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to email the Workforce Development team at internships@masscec.com. Someone will respond to your question as quickly as possible.
[1] For purposes of this FAQ, “Gateway Cities” are the following twenty-six (26) cities located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Attleboro; Barnstable; Brockton; Chelsea; Chicopee; Everett; Fall River; Fitchburg; Haverhill; Holyoke; Lawrence; Leominster; Lowell; Lynn; Malden; Methuen; New Bedford; Peabody; Pittsfield; Quincy; Revere; Salem; Springfield; Taunton; Westfield; and Worcester.
Since its inception in 2011, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Internship Program has placed thousands of students and recent graduates at clean energy companies across the Commonwealth, with hundreds of those interns going on to receive full or part-time job opportunities at their host companies.
The program helps provide Massachusetts clean energy businesses with a talented pool of young professionals, with MassCEC providing stipends for interns during fall, spring and summer sessions.
To help connect students and participating clean energy companies, MassCEC has built a map of companies that have participated in previous rounds of the program, as well as area colleges, universities and community colleges.
Key Goals:
Training and workforce development: Provide Massachusetts clean energy businesses with a skilled pool of young professionals and introduce clean energy career experiences to people entering the workforce, helping to retain talent within the Commonwealth.
Key Metrics and Results:
Since its launch in 2011, the program has allocated $24 million to place more than 4,400 interns at over 550 unique companies, and 880 interns have received full or part-time jobs at their host companies as a result of their internship.
Please Note: Clean energy companies interested in hiring an intern through this program should visit the Clean Energy Internship Program employer page. Companies and Co-op Coordinators interested in the Vocational Internship Program should visit the program's homepage.