The City of Coral Gables’ internship program is committed to supplementing the students’ educational curriculum by engaging students in “real-life” public sector work experience. Departments seeking to place interns shall follow the procedures set forth below regarding intern recruitment, assignment, and supervision.

Intern Recruitment

The Human Resources Department coordinates citywide intern recruitment activities with neighboring schools and academic programs.

• Every student must fill out an internship application (available from the Human Resources Department) and submit it to the Human Resources Department.
• Departments requesting interns shall submit an intern requisition form to the Human Resources Department containing a description of the duties to be performed and the dates and hours of work required, not to exceed 30 hours per week. In requesting interns, departments shall note that interns cannot be used in place of full-time positions.
• The Human Resources Department shall advertise internship opportunities in the City Personnel Bulletin and other resources as requested by the hiring department.
• The Human Resources Department shall review all applications. Those applications meeting the qualifications of the operating department shall be forwarded to the operating department for review. The operating department shall notify the Human Resources Department of which applicants it desires to interview.
• The Human Resources Department shall schedule and attend all interviews and shall conduct all hiring procedures upon selection of the applicant by the operating department.
• Applicants seeking internships in the Fire Department, Police Department, and Parks and Recreation Department must be fingerprinted and successfully pass a criminal history check. The Human Resources Department may accept, at its discretion, criminal history checks and fingerprinting conducted by the educational institution providing the student with the internship.
• Interns shall be provided with a clear explanation of the responsibilities and qualifications needed to perform the internship. Intern positions may include assignments or projects that are: short-term or long-term, to be completed within a defined period, ongoing without an identified end date, to be completed by an individual, or shared among a group.

 Intern Qualifications

• The minimum age to intern with the City is 16. Students younger than 16 years of age may intern with the City if they are at least a junior in high school.
• Interns must be enrolled in high school or an accredited college or university and must receive academic credit for the internship.
• Depending on the nature of the internship assignment and in accordance with federal, state, and local requirements, interns may be subject to drug screening and/or reference checks in addition to the criminal history check noted above.
• The City of Coral Gables does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, or retaliation. Individuals requesting accommodation or accessibility information should contact the Human Resources Department regarding their specific request.

Placing Interns

• To the extent possible, internships shall be offered that match the students’ skill sets and the requirements set forth in the academic curriculum.
• All placements shall be evaluated by the Human Resources Department to determine if the objectives of both the City and the academic curriculum are being satisfied.
• Interns shall maintain the confidentiality of all information to which they have access during the internship, including confidential information concerning personnel matters, members of the community, or related to City business.
• Interns shall not be eligible to receive any benefits provided to City of Coral Gables employees.
• All internships are generally unpaid.

Supervising Interns

• The operating department must assign each intern a supervisor who shall be responsible for day-to-day consultation, support, and direction. The operating department shall provide the Human Resources Department with the name and contact information of the supervisor(s) assigned to the interns.
• The Human Resources Department, in conjunction with the representative of the academic institution (if applicable), shall notify the intern supervisors of any special objectives and/or requirements interns must fulfill to receive academic credit for the internship.
• Intern supervisors within each department are responsible for ensuring that their assigned interns understand and comply with the City’s policies and procedures.
• The intern supervisors shall provide interns with the orientation, training, and supervision necessary to successfully complete assigned tasks.

Internship Conclusion

• The internship shall end when the academic assignment is complete, when the intern has completed the specific time commitment or when the intern, for any reason, must end his/her service. Notwithstanding this section, internships shall not exceed four (4) years.
• Any intern who does not adhere to the policies and procedures of the City of Coral Gables or who fails to satisfactorily perform their internship, for any reason, must end his/her service.
• An internship may be discontinued at any time at the City’s sole discretion with or without cause.