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Internships, Apprenticeships and Youth Employment

If you’re looking for a way to learn about job options and gain career experience, you’re in the right place. As utilities across the nation face a wave of employee retirements, we are now more than ever, dedicated to training, recruiting and hiring residents from our local communities. For more than twenty years, we’ve worked with our partners to provide thousands of students and early career professionals with internships, apprenticeships and work experience opportunities. 

Our staff and partners come from all walks of life and are passionate about teaching youth important employment skills and helping them to explore potential career paths. Paid youth employment opportunities span a variety of fields including engineering, water and wastewater management, finance, communications, human resources and information technology.

High School Internships

SSIP CityWorks – SSIP CityWorks is a paid summer internship program for high school students from San Francisco’s southeast neighborhoods. Starting after their junior year in high school, this program provides students with internship opportunities every summer either at the SFPUC or with one of the private engineering firms working on our Sewer System Internship Program. As a CityWorks intern, you’ll have access to mentors, supervisors and a strong community of professionals all of whom are dedicated to helping you achieve your career goals.

YouthWorks – For about 20 years, YouthWorks,  a paid after-school and summer internship program, has provided San Francisco high school students with an interest in public service with job opportunities at SFPUC and more than 30 other City departments like the Department of Health and District Attorney’s Office.

Project Pull – For more than 20 years, Project Pull has provided San Francisco high school students with paid summer internships at SFPUC and other City departments. During their eight-week program, interns learn about careers in architecture, business, engineering and science.

large group of young intern students

College-Sponsored Internship Programs

We partner with San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) to provide a variety of internships to high school students referred from the school district. 

College and Graduate Internships

Engineering Student Internships (5380, 5381, 5382, 7542) - Through this summer internship program, undergraduate and graduate interns work with us and/or other city agencies on engineering, architecture, landscape architecture, natural resources, biology, planning, mathematics and computer science/information services projects.

Graduate Student Intern at SFPUC (9910, 9920) - As SFPUC public service trainees, graduate interns work on projects pertaining to their field of study while impacting the Agency through research and collaboration across teams and influencing public policy, human resources, natural resources, biology among other areas.

Recent Graduates and Early Career Internships

Accountant Intern (1649) -  This internship provides entry-level accountants with the opportunity to learn and apply accounting principles, and City policies and procedures to governmental accounting and auditing work. Through this program, interns also attend classroom-style accounting workshops and city-wide functions. 

Junior Engineer Positions (5201) - Recent engineering graduates work with engineers in various City departments to execute entry level work on civil, mechanical, electrical, environmental or transportation engineering projects.

Seasonal Watershed Worker (7542) - This seasonal position allows natural resources and biology graduates to help maintain and protect our watersheds, reservoir properties and rights-of-way throughout the SFPUC's regional system. From the Bay Area to Tuolumne County and Yosemite, this role is vital to help proactively manage, protect and restore environmental resources affected by our system operations.

San Francisco Fellows - The San Francisco Fellows Program prepares recent college graduates for leadership roles in public service by placing them in roles with various different City departments including the SFPUC, Recreation and Park, the Arts Commission, SFMTA and SFO.  Through the program, fellows work full-time on projects that have a direct impact on City operations. Projects span a broad range of City functions, involving analytical planning and operational work.

Apprenticeship and Pre-Apprenticeship Training

CityBuild student getting diploma

We partner with unions, the City and County of San Francisco, and other stakeholders to support apprenticeships and pre-apprentice training programs in the skilled trades. These programs are critical to ensuring a skilled and reliable workforce for our operations and infrastructure development.

Pre-Apprenticeship

CityBuild Academy – CityBuild is a community-based construction pre-apprentice program that provides San Francisco residents with comprehensive pre-apprenticeship and construction administration training. The program program is administered by the Office of Economic and Workforce Development in partnership with the SFPUC and other government, non-profit, labor union and industry partners.

Formal Apprenticeships

Apprentice Stationary Engineer, Water Treatment Plant (7339) –This four-year apprentice program provides participants with the opportunity to learn about the operation, repair and maintenance of various machinery and equipment through diversified experience and on-the-job training. The program supports participants to become fully skilled in the craft and qualified for proper certification issued by the California State Health Department. Recruitment is open on an intermittent basis.

Apprentice Stationary Engineer, Sewer Treatment Plant (7375)  –This four year apprentice program teaches participants about the operation and maintenance of various machinery and equipment through diversified experience and on-the-job training. The program supports participants to become fully skilled in the craft and qualified for proper certification issued by the California State Health Department. Recruitment is open on an intermittent basis.

Utility Plumber Apprentice (7463) –Through this four year apprentice program, participants learn about the operation, repair and maintenance of water mains, pipes, meters, fire hydrants, gates and valves as part of a recognized program of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry.

Work Experience Programs

Interns at the treatment plant

We partner with several governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide utility-related paid employment opportunities in support of our mission and sustainability goals. Developed in collaboration with our sponsors, these work programs help young adults to develop professional skills and learn about water, power and sewer while exploring the public sector as a future career goal.

Horticultural Readiness Program – This program provides high school students and young adults, ages 18-24, with the opportunity to learn environmentally-based job training and life skills, while transforming the urban environment.

Project Learning Grant Partnership Program –Through the SFPUC Project Learning Grant Program, youth and young adults participate in real-world, project-based, work and learning experiences through partnerships with dozens of community organizations

Learn more about our good neighbor efforts and workforce development partnerships.