City of Bend to offer youth internships

Published 10:44 am Wednesday, July 23, 2025

The City of Bend is partnering with Youth Career Connect to offer summer internships to Central Oregon youth ages 15 to 21.

Youth Career Connect is a internship program and partnership between owner East Cascades Works and Bend-La Pine Schools.

The two organizations pool funds to help cover staff costs and youth wages to recruit youth from Bend and La Pine high schools and connect them to paid internships around the region, said Josh Lagalo, youth development and training manager for Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council’s Youth Compass program, the provider for Youth Career Connect. The City of Bend’s partnership is unique since it has also contributed funds.

“(The internships) greatly benefit the young person because they’re getting career exposure to a career they’re interested in, and they’re getting really valuable work skills: showing up on time, dress for success, working with others, following directions. It’s also really beneficial to the city, because as they move forward in hiring in future years, it’s nice to be able to hire local young people,” Lagalo said.

The city has internships in civil engineering, transportation and mobility, communications and additional departments. Four spots have been filled, but additional spots are still open, said Lagalo. Overall, there are 720 hours worth of internships available. Internships are intended to be part-time with 80 hours throughout the summer per intern, wrapping up at the end of August. Youth will be paid $17 per hour. If interns are onboarded and there isn’t enough time to complete 80 hours, they will complete as many hours as they can before the end of the summer.

The application process is open for all students, and students should have a strong career interest in the particular department they are hoping to intern in, he said. The city will interview applicants before making final decisions.

East Cascades Works is excited for the partnership and said it benefits both interns and city departments.

“Interns bring fresh energy, curiosity, and creativity to their teams while contributing to real projects that make an impact. At the same time, City staff gain valuable experience supervising others and mentoring the next generation of leaders, deepening their own leadership skills and connection to community,” wrote Teresa Weir, East Cascades Works director of programs, in an email.

Lagalo said though this is a pilot program, the organization is interested in working with other businesses who are looking for interns.

“The city staff gets a hands-on approach working with local talent,” he said. “Young people, right now it’s really important that they have work skills, and one of the best ways they can do that is at a real paid job.”