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

Membership
Oct 14, 2026
Central Tennessee HBA's Award-Winning Membership Growth Plan

The Home Builders Association of Central Tennessee focused on expanding its footprint in previously underserved areas by appointing new charter presidents to promote membership, build relationships with local officials and provide networking opportunities in outlying counties.

55+ Housing | Trends
Oct 13, 2026
Key Housing Trends Among the 55+ Population

Adults ages 55 and older make up a large and growing share of the U.S. population and play an important role in the U.S. housing market. Only 16% of NAHB Builder members, however, reported building age-restricted housing for people age 55 or older, according to 2025 Member Census. For builders and remodelers targeting this demographic, it is important to understand the trends within this part of the housing industry.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics
Oct 13, 2026
Existing Home Sales Increased in September

Existing home sales rose after three months of declines as improved inventory gave buyers more negotiating power. As buyers wait for rate relief, homes are sitting on the market longer and for-sale inventory reached the highest level in over a decade.

Economics
Oct 13, 2026
Median Age in Construction Holds at 42

The median age of construction workers is 42, one year older than a typical worker in the national labor force, according to NAHB analysis of the latest 2024 American Community Survey (ACS) data.

Economics
Oct 09, 2026
Private Water and Sewer Systems in 2025 New Single-Family Homes

The share of new single-family homes built with individual wells and septic systems increased in 2025 compared to the previous year. According to NAHB’s analysis of the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC), approximately 10% of single-family homes started in 2025 were served by individual (private) wells, and 17% relied on individual septic systems.