Internships are no longer just a résumé booster; they’re one of the most powerful tools for long-term talent acquisition. In today’s competitive labor market, the smartest companies are rethinking internships not just as short-term support, but as a long-term pipeline strategy. Forward-thinking companies are using high school and early college internships to build stronger, more diverse talent pipelines and to close the growing experience gap in the workforce.
Why It Matters:
- 61% of employers have increased experience requirements in the past three years.
- Entry-level jobs now often demand two to five years of experience.
- Meanwhile, students are graduating with skills but no relevant experience.
The result? A growing talent gap on both sides. Employers can’t find “qualified” applicants, and graduates can’t get hired without the experience they were never offered.
Internships are the bridge. But only if they’re built intentionally.
Here’s how your internship program can attract, prepare, and retain top talent starting in high school.
1. Shift your thinking from “program” to “pipeline.”
An internship should be more than a summer job. It should:
- Offer mentorship and skill development
- Provide job-specific training
- Create a sense of belonging
- Help interns envision a long-term future with your company
Internships give students the real-world experience that hiring managers are demanding and help your organization evaluate and nurture talent long before it hits the broader job market.
According to Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends, experience today means the ability to apply skills in context. Internships are the ideal training ground for that.
2. Start earlier than you think
You don’t need to wait until college to start shaping your talent pipeline.
In fact, high school internships or immersive career exploration experiences in middle school can be the most impactful, because they:
- Help students make informed career choices earlier, allowing them to start preparing and take relevant courses for that job in high school
- Build confidence through exposure and hands-on learning
- Cultivate interest in your industry before they choose a different path
Through partnerships with organizations like WhyMaker, your company can connect with schools to create classroom lessons and early work-based learning opportunities. This gives students a window into what you do and gives your company a head start in building brand awareness and interest among future applicants.
3. Design for equity and access
To create a strong talent pipeline, you want to make sure students from all backgrounds can enter it.
That means removing barriers like:
- Unpaid internships (which disproportionately exclude low-income students)
- Lack of transportation or housing support
- Insufficient career readiness or soft skills training
It also means actively partnering with schools, paid internship programs, nonprofits, and community programs that serve underrepresented youth. When you invest in creating inclusive internship models, you’re not just fulfilling CSR goals—you’re unlocking untapped potential.
Want to make it easier? Consider integrating project-based learning in local classrooms, after school programs, and community-based fairs on the weekends before students apply for internships. That way, every student has a chance to explore your field and gain foundational skills in a low-stakes environment.
4. Treat interns like future colleagues
When students feel like interns... they act like interns.
When they feel like valued contributors to a mission… they grow into professionals.
From day one, make interns feel like part of the team by:
- Introducing them to leaders and departments beyond their direct assignment
- Giving them projects with visible outcomes and real-world relevance
- Providing feedback and mentorship, not just tasks
- Creating space to reflect and share what they’re learning
This is especially powerful when tied to classroom-to-career connections. Companies can support lesson plans in schools that highlight how subjects like math, science, communication, and design directly apply to their industry. That way, when students step into an internship, they already see how their education connects to meaningful work.
WhyMaker helps design these educational touchpoints, creating a through line from classroom to internship to career.
5. Make internships part of your long game
Internships are not the end of the journey—they’re the beginning.
Use them as a scouting tool. Keep in touch with high-potential interns. Build alumni networks and mentorship chains. Offer job-shadowing or seasonal work opportunities throughout college, apprenticeships, dual enrollment, certifications, or even high school–level employment
This long game approach matters. Because when today’s students feel seen, supported, and empowered during their internship, they’re far more likely to return as full-time employees, and they’ll bring their peers with them.
And in a market where experience matters more than ever, you’ll be the one who gave it to them first.
Final Thought: Internships Start in the Classroom
If your company is serious about building a workforce pipeline, start before the internship even begins.
Partner with WhyMaker to create custom, standards-aligned lessons that introduce students to your industry, your challenges, and your mission. These 45-minute lessons are designed by certified educators to fit seamlessly into classrooms, and they show students that your field is for them. This is the first step to them wanting to intern with you.
Want to see how it works? Contact us to explore sample lesson plans or design your own.
Sources
- Closing the Experience Gap, Deloitte 2025 Global Human Capital Trends
- 2025 Global Human Capital Trends, Deloitte
- Skills-Based Hiring: The Long Road from Pronouncements, Burning Glass Institute
