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Develop and train new professionals in your municipality or planning agency by participating in the Municipal Internship Program.
We are introducing an enhancement to provide consistency and continuity across the 3 program streams. Internships will be 18 months in length for all streams, with a one-time grant provided to assist hosts with costs to support an intern. Intern cohorts in the 3 streams will start and finish their program together, and both hosts and interns can plan experiences, projects, training and professional development knowing the 18-month term is guaranteed.
The ministry’s program team will continue to provide robust and comprehensive resources, learning sessions, coaching and guidance to support interns’ leadership and competency development.
The Municipal Internship Program is Canada’s longest running program of its kind. The program is a partnership between participating municipal organizations and Alberta Municipal Affairs. It provides support to municipalities and planning service agencies to build capacity in the municipal sector by developing recent post-secondary graduates to become future leaders in municipal government.
Through hands-on, real life work experience, professional development and mentoring over an 18-month period, interns receive a solid foundation for careers in municipal administration, finance or land use planning. Since the Municipal Internship Program was reintroduced in 2002, more than 330 interns and 100 municipalities have participated. More than half of these program alumni continue to work in Alberta’s municipal sector and other levels of government.
Host municipalities and planning service agencies are not permitted to hire an existing or recent employee as their municipal intern. The only exceptions are if the employee worked as a summer student, casual employee (employee on a call-in basis or irregular hours), or a co-op student. All intern candidates must submit an application package and be shortlisted to be available as an intern, including those covered by these exceptions.
Organizations interested in hosting an intern should consider the following before applying:
Interns bring knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm that build capacity and rejuvenate the municipal government sector. Interns bring numerous benefits to a municipality, including:
Hosting an intern is a significant commitment requiring municipal finance and staff resources, time, and a focus on learning and development. The program is not considered a temporary employment opportunity, rather it is an opportunity help build the administrative capacity of local governments in Alberta.
Municipalities and planning services agencies have 4 main responsibilities in fulfilling their role as a host.
Learn about the different streams and how interns provide service to your municipality or planning agency as well as gain valuable experience.
We provide funding to municipalities and planning service agencies to recruit, train and develop new and recent graduates as municipal interns who may pursue careers in municipal administration, finance or land-use planning.
Host organizations are supported by a grant from the Alberta Community Partnership program to assist with the costs of hosting an intern. For the 2022 Municipal Internship Program, the funding for each host municipality is $60,000, which is allocated as follows:
Read the Alberta Community Partnership Program Guidelines for details on applying for the grant.
Municipalities are expected to financially contribute to the cost of hosting an intern through top-ups to intern compensation and/or contributions to expenses for the intern.
In addition to funding, we provide extensive recruitment, training, coaching and mentorship support to interns and supervisors.
To host an intern in the Municipal Internship Program, a municipality or planning agency must be a successful recipient of a grant from the Municipal Internship component of the Alberta Community Partnership (ACP) program.
You will find information on eligibility, grant funding, grant requirements, and other grant-related information for the Municipal Internship Program under the 2021-2022 Alberta Community Partnership guidelines.
All applications to the Municipal Internship component of the ACP must be submitted through the ACP Online (ACPO) found inside the MAConnect Portal. In most municipalities, authorized users of ACPO include the chief administrative officer, finance staff and grant coordinators.
If assistance is required to access the MAConnect Portal and ACPO, please email [email protected] or call 780-644-2413 (toll-free in Alberta by dialling 310-0000).
There are several important dates that prospective host municipalities and organizations should keep in mind. We may change any of the dates listed should it become necessary to do so, and will update this page as appropriate.
The following timelines are subject to change.
Deadline for host applications for the 2022 Municipal Internship Program.
Applications are reviewed and evaluated by ministry staff.
Host municipalities and organizations selected and are approved by Minister.
Ministry staff will work with the approved host municipalities on intern recruitment materials, including profiles of host municipalities.
Intern applications will be accepted between January 17, 2022, and February 23, 2022.
Intern applications are screened by ministry staff to ensure candidates meet program eligibility requirements. Each host organization will receive applications from those candidates who expressed interest in working for that municipality.
Host municipalities will review intern applications, interview candidates and make a job offer to their top candidate.
Internships start during this period.
Connect with the Municipal Internship Program at Alberta Municipal Affairs:
Phone: 780-427-2225 (toll-free in Alberta by calling 310-0000 first)
Email: [email protected]
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