A Case Study Exploration of Adolescents' Experiences in a Paid Summer Internship Program

Abstract

Adolescence is a critical time for career exploration, and internships are a common tool to promote career development. Yet, few researchers have examined their impact on participants. In this study, we conducted a qualitative case study with adolescent participants (N = 19) in the City of Charlotte's Mayor's Youth Employment Program (MYEP), a city-sponsored paid summer internship program. We explored the experiences of participants in the MYEP and found that participants all reported that their internship experiences were beneficial and their career training prior to the internship was helpful. Most participants noted that positive supervisor and coworker relationships were part of their internship experiences, and all participants stated that their internships impacted their future career decisions. Some participants also described their internship program as having poor communication. We provide implications for these findings, as well as recommendations for future research on the topic.