PG&E Virtual Internship Program

Funder: Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) in partnership with National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project

Geographic Scope: Northern California (serves high schools in Oakland, Fremont, Fresno, and Stockton; and Merlo Institute of Environmental Education)

Focus Areas: Energy sector career development, renewable energy, sustainability, community resilience

Paid virtual internship program for high school juniors and seniors combining energy education mentorship with soft skills training through Junior Achievement. Interns work with PG&E employee mentors on projects related to clean energy and community resilience.

Participating Schools:

• Skyline High School (Oakland)
• Oakland High School (Oakland)
• Irvington High School (Fremont)
• Edison High School (Fresno)
• Merlo Institute of Environmental Education (Stockton)

Program Structure:

• Typical format: 2 hours per day after-school program
• 1 hour with mentors
• 1 hour in soft skills courses (Career Success, Financial Literacy) through Junior Achievement or project work
• Total of 60+ hours per intern
• Includes 12+ career pathway presentations
• One-to-one intern advisors
• Project coaching

Program Features:

• 35 PG&E employee volunteers serve as personal mentors, project mentors, and presenters
• Hands-on activities (e.g., Energy House activity)
• Three PG&E certifications earned through online courses:

- Basics of Solar Electric Systems
- Electric Vehicles: What You Need to Know
- Energy Math

• Junior Achievement courses completed
• Professional resume development
• LinkedIn profile development
• Capstone project presentations

Awards:

• Mixed-school teams of three develop solutions for COVID high-risk populations
• Winning teams can qualify for $100,000 PG&E Better Together Community Resiliency Grant
• Individual awards: $100 for first place team members, $50 for second place, $25 for all other participants

Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors from participating schools in PG&E service area

Contact Information:

• Email: info@need.org
• Phone: 1-800-875-5029
• Address: 8408 Kao Circle, Manassas, VA 20110

Application Process

Prospective interns should inquire through their high school or contact NEED for information about application procedures and enrollment for upcoming program sessions.

Contact: info@need.org or 1-800-875-5029

Note: Future virtual internship program sessions are under development and will be announced as dates and details are determined.