How to Start Planning for a Summer Intern

Workforce Development
Published
Contact: Greg Zick
[email protected]
AVP, Workforce Development
(202) 266-8493

Schools will be out for the summer soon, which means now is the perfect time to start laying the groundwork for an internship program. Working with interns helps companies meet their own workforce needs and helps the industry build the pipeline of new workers needed to meet the demand for new housing.

There are many considerations when planning for a trainee on your jobsite. To help you establish a program, NAHB has a step-by-step guide to setting up an internship program.

The Student Internship Resources for NAHB Members guide focuses on how builders can engage with three different talent resources: secondary (high school) students in career and technical (CTE) education programs, community college students, and university students.

The comprehensive guide covers topics such as:

  • How to evaluate your workplace needs
  • How to research the legalities
  • Tips for developing a training plan
  • How to find, hire and manage interns
  • How to retain good prospects as employees 

In addition, to help students and young professionals develop their careers in the trades, NAHB has a robust collection of one page “how-to” guides, such as interviewing and building a network available for download and print.

NAHB invites all members to share their workforce development opportunities and challenges during the next in-person Workforce Development Champions Forum on Friday, June 9, at 10:30 a.m. ET, during the Spring Leadership Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Economics

May 19, 2026

Single-Family Home Building Permits Tank in First Quarter as Multifamily Rises

Elevated financing costs, ongoing affordability challenges, and softer builder sentiment continued to weigh on single-family construction activity, while multifamily permitting remained supported by demand for rental housing.

Education

May 19, 2026

Project Planning Tips to Boost Profitability

Learn all the best ways to develop and follow a clear project schedule to increase profitability and your client's satisfaction in NAHB's live online course The Project Schedule: A Planning and Communication Tool.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

May 19, 2026

Who Drives Remodeling Spending?

Residential remodeling is an important and growing sector of the housing market, particularly as elevated mortgage rates and limited housing inventory encourage many homeowners to improve their existing homes rather than move.

Economics

May 18, 2026

Builder Sentiment Posts Gain in May but Significant Affordability Challenges Persist

Builder confidence posted a modest gain in May even as buyers grapple with rising mortgage rates and economic uncertainty while builders continue to contend with elevated land, labor and construction costs.

Economics

May 15, 2026

Credit for Builders Tightens in the First Quarter, But Only Slightly

Credit conditions on loans for residential Land Acquisition, Development & Construction (AD&C) were still tightening in the first quarter of 2026, but only slightly, according to NAHB’s quarterly survey on AD&C Financing.