Make the Most of Your Internship Grant Funds this Summer

If your company employs one or two interns, then ways to utilize a JRGF Part 1 Internship Grant ( $1,000 for 1 intern / $2,000 for 2+ interns) are fairly obvious, such as offsetting the interns’ salary, offering a housing subsidy if they’re from out of the area, or even rewarding the interns with a bonus upon completion of a successful summer. However, distributing the funds over multiple interns can be more of a logistical challenge. The following are a few ideas to help make the most of the internship grant and to elevate the overall internship experience at your company.

Intern Orientation Day – Gather all interns and host a training day where company policies and values are reviewed. Tour your office, make introductions and then use the funds for a lunch to make the new interns feel welcome and part of the team. 

Company Swag – Nothing says welcome to the team like branded apparel! Set your interns up in style with a collection of shirts, hats, tech cases/gadgets and personalized drinkware.

Technology Upgrades – Don’t get stuck troubleshooting out-of-date, hand me down, or broken devices from the previous decade. Upgrade your intern’s tech prior to their starting date so they can start fresh and be ready to roll on day one.

Gift Card Raffles – Keep the fun going all summer with friendly office competitions or raffles throughout their internship by offering multiple prizes in smaller increments.

Lunch and Learns – Consider adding intern/new hire lunch and learn topics over the summer to supplement their classroom and hands-on education. Each educational gathering doubles as an opportunity to further show your company’s investment in their future with your company.   

Intern/Mentor Activities – Pair your intern with a company mentor and encourage them to get to know each other in a relaxed setting by blowing off some steam during bowling, pickleball, mini golf, or even an escape room outing. Gather the mentor/intern pairs afterwards for a special sweet treat such as snow cones or ice cream.     

End of Summer Celebration – Celebrate their successful summer with a pizza party or food from your local caterer of choice. Everyone loves food, especially college students! Compile photos of the interns’ experience and run the slides on a loop throughout the event to remind them how truly incredible their summer was with your company.    

Keep in mind, the first step to utilizing Internship Grant funds successfully is to submit the form!

Internship Grant (Part 1)

• Submit an application for each intern.
• Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
• Companies with one intern are eligible for a $1,000 grant. Companies with two or more interns may receive a $2,000 grant.

Internship Grant (Part 2)

Once your intern is hired full-time post-graduation, come back and submit a Part 2 form for a $500 gift card to present to the new hire. Keep in mind, new hire conversions are unlimited, but the name must have previously been included on a Part 1 list from an MCAA company. Part 2 applications may not be submitted until after the new hire’s full-time start date.

MCAA thanks the John R. Gentille Foundation for its support in underwriting many of the activities of the MCAA Career Development Initiative. Chief among these is an internship program that allows mechanical contractors to identify and evaluate potential full-time hires for their companies.