Exploring Internship Opportunities with the National Governors Association
The National Governors Association (NGA) plays a vital role in shaping state policies and fostering collaboration among governors. Its internship programs offer invaluable experiences for individuals interested in public service, policy development, and political campaigns. This article explores the various facets of NGA internships, including eligibility, opportunities, and the broader context of skills-based hiring in state governments.
The National Governors Association: A Hub for Policy and Leadership
The NGA serves as a platform for governors to share best practices, address common challenges, and influence national policy. Through its Center for Best Practices, the NGA supports states in various areas, including workforce development, education, and economic opportunity.
Skills-Based Hiring Initiatives
Recognizing the evolving needs of the workforce, the NGA Center for Best Practices launched "Skills in the States," a community of practice focused on advancing skills-based hiring and talent management in the public sector. This initiative, supported by Walmart.org, addresses workforce shortages and promotes a broader national policy conversation around skills-based hiring. Over the past two years, governors in more than thirty states have taken intentional steps to expand access to economic opportunity by removing unnecessary bachelor’s degree requirements for public sector roles. These actions-often through executive orders and legislation-have helped address workforce shortages, advanced skills-based hiring, and accelerated a broader national policy conversation.
Several states have implemented policies to prioritize skills and experience over traditional degree requirements. For example:
- Alaska: Governor Dunleavy implemented Administrative Order 343, emphasizing minimum competency requirements to broaden the use of education, training, and experience in state workforce recruitment and retention efforts.
- Colorado: An Executive Order directs state government to transition to skills-based hiring to ensure a talented workforce. It also instructs agencies to create outcome goals around work-based learning and identify opportunities to fill high-demand positions.
- Delaware: Governor John Carney announced the removal of mandatory bachelor’s degree requirements for several positions, providing a pathway for more individuals to enter the state workforce. The Delaware Department of Human Resources (DHR) recently removed the bachelor’s degree requirement for critical positions within the Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families and the Department of Health and Social Services, encompassing six Family Service classifications and impacting more than 350 positions. In lieu of a bachelor’s degree, DHR will focus on related work experience.
- Maryland: A study is underway to understand the state's progress in advancing skills-based hiring in both the public and private sectors.
- Massachusetts: The HIRE Committee may develop and make recommendations to improve the competitiveness of the Commonwealth’s workforce after gathering information from agencies about agency needs and make recommendations to the Office of Administration (OA) related to hiring and recruitment for the Commonwealth workforce.
- Oklahoma: State agencies will recruit and compete for talent by eliminating degree requirements, preferences or both for almost 90% of state classified positions.
- Washington: HB 2216, effective June 6, aims to reduce barriers to state employment by eliminating unnecessary two-year and four-year degree requirements. It is the intent of the legislature to reduce the number of positions in state employment that unnecessarily have requirements of completing a two-year or four-year college degree as the only way to meet the qualifications of a job.
Internship Opportunities at the Democratic Governors Association (DGA)
The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) offers internships for individuals interested in supporting Democratic governors and campaigns. These internships provide practical political experience and exposure to various aspects of campaign management and policy development. The DGA works closely with the state and Washington, D.C. offices of the Democratic governors as well as many other national Democratic and progressive organizations. DGA internships allow interested students to obtain practical political experience with the DGA’s various departments.
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Political Internship
The DGA seeks a Political intern for the Fall 2025 term. The Political intern mainly reports to the Political Operations Manager for assignments and feedback, as well as regular check-ins with the Intern Coordinator who manages DGA’s internship program.
Typical Responsibilities:
- Assist in staying up to date in the current Governor’s races along with the incumbent Governors in office.
- Assist in organizing volunteering opportunities within the DGA and helping with deployment.
- Assist the Political Operations Manager along with other members of the Political team with day-to-day tasks which can include resume drops, spreadsheet management, writing memos, and creating presentations.
- Assist with resume outreach, maintaining Google Drive folders, and helping recruit talent for campaigns.
- Assist with pulling media statistics and data, including traffic reports, sending out new ads as they are released, and understanding how to read the reports.
- Attending webinars or information sessions about related work in the democratic field and writing memos on the main points.
- Help with other special projects, assignments, and tasks as assigned by DGA Communications, Research, Finance, Digital, and Administrative staff.
Research Internship
The DGA seeks a Research Intern for the Spring 2025 term. The DGA Research Team is responsible for working with the nation's Democratic governors and candidates to promote their agendas, win elections, and hold Republicans accountable. DGA Research interns will mainly report to the Research Associates for assignments and feedback, as well as regular check-in’s with the Intern Coordinator who manages DGA’s internship program.
Typical Responsibilities:
- Assist in the drafting of research memos on Republican candidates and governors to hold them accountable for their policies and actions.
- Assist in the drafting of state-specific issue memos for use in campaigns or with stakeholders.
- Assist in media monitoring and the compilation of news articles pertaining to the political landscape of governors and gubernatorial candidates.
- Assist with transcriptions of media appearances of Republican governors and candidates for use in campaign communications.
- Help with other special projects, assignments, and tasks as assigned by the Research Associates, Analysts, or other members of the Research Team.
Minimum Qualifications and Expectations for DGA Internships
- Excellent punctuality and attendance.
- Good, professional verbal and written communication skills.
- Good and consistent attention to detail.
- Ability to cooperate and effectively communicate with a diverse staff and other interns.
- Ability to ask appropriate questions to gather information to complete a task on time and up to expectations.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
- Proficiency with other web tools such as Google Docs.
- Strong commitment to the principles of the Democratic Party.
- Strong interest in current events and national/state/local campaigns and politics.
- For Fall and Spring terms, remote and/or hybrid availability for a minimum of 18 hours per week is required.
Internship Program Details
For the Fall 2025 and Spring 2025 Terms, DGA internships will be remote, with the option for interns located in Washington, DC to use the office on a limited basis. Selected interns are provided a program stipend of $4,000. Housing is not provided. Applicants should submit a resume and 1-2 paragraphs on why they want to work as an Intern at the DGA and how they anticipate a DGA internship will benefit your career. Please include a draft work schedule at the end of your 1-2 paragraphs. Potential applicants who have an interest in working on Democratic campaigns or supporting Democratic Campaigns are strongly encouraged to apply. The application will remain open until the positions are filled. The DGA Internship Coordinator can work with selected interns and their school/program to obtain course credit for this internship. The DGA offices are based in downtown Washington, DC and we are currently in a hybrid work protocol.
Diversity and Inclusion
The DGA is committed to ensuring equal opportunity to participate in the internship program regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or veteran status. The DGA strongly encourages individuals from diverse backgrounds to apply to this internship. The DGA recognizes that its continued success requires a group of hardworking, intelligent interns from diverse backgrounds during each term. The DGA is committed to ensuring equal opportunity to participate in the DGA internship program regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or veteran status. The DGA strongly encourages individuals with a diverse background to apply to its internship program and to share why your demonstrated commitment to diversity and experience working in diverse communities makes you a strong applicant as part of your written application.
Work-Based Learning and the Role of Governors
Governors play a crucial role in promoting work-based learning (WBL) programs. These programs connect classroom education with on-the-job experience, helping businesses and workers meet their current needs while preparing the future workforce. As the nature of work evolves, WBL prepares students for active learning and continuous skill development.
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Governors are uniquely positioned to convene and support diverse partnerships in WBL. The NGA Center for Best Practices, with support from the Siemens Foundation, assists states in scaling high-quality work-based learning programs for youth and young adults in STEM-intensive industries such as advanced manufacturing, health care, information technology, and energy.
Since March , Governors have taken action to address once-in-a-lifetime economic circumstances by providing assistance to displaced small businesses and workers, while putting in place longer-term supports to help Americans succeed in a changing world of work.
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