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Summer at the Lab brings a new group of interns. This year, through the Workforce Development & Education (WD&E) program, 150 interns are working across all the research areas at the Lab. They are paired with mentors who teach technical and research skills, provide guidance, and show interns what it’s like to work at a national lab. The interns come from a diverse group, from high school students to postdocs and even 12 faculty collaborators.
The WD&E Office hosts and facilitates all of the Lab’s Department of Energy’s Office of Science internship programs, as well as additional internships across the Lab’s divisions. For the first time, the Lab is also welcoming 14 STEM Excellence through Equity & Diversity (SEED) Scholars Honors Program interns. SEED places STEM majors at UC Berkeley who come from underrepresented communities. The program is funded by the university (most of the WD&E programs are funded by the DOE Office of Science and attract intern candidates from across the nation rather than local institutions).
The interns, most of whom arrived on June 3, went through orientation on their first day. Safety protocols are, of course, important for all the interns to learn. In addition to safety training through Work Planning & Control (WPC) courses that interns are required to take, their mentors take the time to ensure their safety and security.
“One of our program requirements is for mentors to go through a safety checklist with their intern to ensure interns are aware of the assembly area near their building in case of an emergency, have proper PPE equipment if needed, and ensure the mentor or someone on their team is onsite when their intern is onsite,” said Nakeiah Harrell, WD&E’s internship program manager.
A Strong Demand for Interns
Internship programs at the Lab have always been in high demand, and many specific programs have been growing over the past years. For example, the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program, which focuses on four-year colleges, is bringing 60 students to the Lab this year, up from 45 last summer. From 2018-2022, the WD&E programs have hosted 638 interns, 27% of whom are from underrepresented communities.
“Many researchers are looking for help for their projects,” said Rachel Carl, human resources senior manager and interim education director. “The funding provided by DOE and divisions, and now from UC Berkeley’s SEED program, allows researchers across the Lab to have access to these interns even if they have limited funds while contributing to building the science workforce of the future.”
“We are hoping for more funding so that we can meet the continuing growth in demand for interns,” she continued.
Apply to be a mentor for fall interns
As the summer internships begin, the WD&E team reminds researchers to start thinking about fall interns. The fall placement period is open now through July 28, and the WD&E Office welcomes additional mentors.
“Many are aware of our summer programs, but not everyone knows we offer programs year-round,” said Nakeiah.
Visit the WD&E website for more information about the WD&E internship programs and their impact.