Powering Futures: Exploring Internship Opportunities at Seattle City Light

Seattle City Light, a nationally recognized leader in energy efficiency and environmental stewardship, offers a variety of internship programs for undergraduate and graduate students. These paid internships provide invaluable experience, allowing students to transform their education, skills, and talents into meaningful projects that power the Seattle area. Interns work alongside energy, government, and business professionals, gaining new skills and developing deep industry knowledge. Seattle City Light values diverse perspectives and life experiences and encourages people of all backgrounds to apply.

Types of Internships Available

Seattle City Light provides internship opportunities in diverse fields, including:

Data Science
Engineering
Customer Experience
Accounting
Environmental Studies
Public Administration
Arts and Sciences

These internships are available during the summer and throughout the school year, offering flexible, part-time work options. Most internships are based out of the downtown Seattle office, but some, like the Hatchery Internship, are located at the Skagit Hydroelectric Project in the North Cascades or the Native Salmonid Conservation Facility (NSCF) in Usk, WA.

Project Management Oversight (PMO) Internship

The Project Management Oversight (PMO) group within the Project Delivery Division offers internships that provide experience in supporting project execution. PMO supports Project Delivery by providing services in:

Project Controls
Budgeting
Contracts and Procurement
Project Controls Reporting
Project Management Training
Document Management
Project Management Improvement program
Cost Estimating

Interns assist with SharePoint site development improvements, Project Controls Process Improvements, Project Controls Reporting, Development of Training for Project Managers, and Project Delivery's Annual Accomplishments Report.

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Hatchery Internship

Seattle City Light is recruiting for an internship based at the Native Salmonid Conservation Facility (NSCF) in Usk, WA, in Pend Oreille County. It provides a hands-on learning experience focused on conservation-based native fishery restoration, supporting Boundary Dam FERC licensing obligations. The 2025 Hatchery Internship offers students an opportunity to develop entry-level biological data collection and animal husbandry skills within an environmental restoration context. Interns will actively participate in conservation-focused projects that support ecological restoration and fishery management. This internship requires onsite work at the Native Salmonid Conservation Facility in Usk, WA.

Apprenticeship Programs

City Light apprenticeships are paid positions designed to help those interested in skilled trades get the experience they need for a career in the electrical utility industry. Apprenticeship programs are open to all candidates who meet our qualifications. City Light apprenticeships are full-time, paid positions, earning at least $46.36/hour to start, with wage step increases as you gain experience and knowledge. As an apprentice, you work as a member of an assigned crew, under the supervision of journey-level workers. Apprentices attend evening academic classes to get more in-depth instruction on the theory and practice of their craft. You will attend a minimum of 144 hours of related academic instruction each year. After completion of required on-the-job training and classroom instruction, you will take City and Union required exams.

Pre-Apprentice Lineworker Program

The Pre-Apprentice Lineworker program offers paid, six-month training positions designed to help employees learn the skills needed to become apprentice lineworkers (trades worker who constructs and maintains electric power transmission and distribution lines). Instruction includes crew assistance and equipment preparation. To graduate into the Lineworker Apprenticeship Program, you must pass a set of physical capacity tests and a series of pole climbing tests.

Cable Splicer Apprenticeship

A Cable Splicer splices high voltage and power cables used in underground distribution and street lighting systems as a means to install, maintain and repair electrical wiring systems. You learn to splice, terminate, and maintain low and high voltage power cables in an underground network distribution system.

Electrician Constructor Apprenticeship

An Electrician Constructor is responsible for the installation, maintenance, repair, and operation of City Light equipment and facilities. Under the supervision of journey-level workers, you will perform work on transformers, conductors, circuit breakers, switches, protective devices, and cutouts. The Generation Electrician Constructor apprenticeship is a 4-year/8,000-hour program. Under the supervision of journey-level workers, you perform work on generators, install, troubleshoot and maintain the powerhouse operating systems, and will work on governors, protective devices, circuit breakers, disconnects, and transformers.

Meter Electrician Apprenticeship

Meter Electrician Apprentices work in residential, commercial, and industrial areas around City Light's distribution area on revenue meters. They also work on substation and generation metering. You will learn to install single and poly-phase meters, transformer-related meters, self-contained meters and instrument transformers.

Apprenticeship Standards

Our apprenticeship programs are approved, registered and monitored by the State of Washington Labor and Industries Apprenticeship and Training Council. The Washington State Apprenticeship Training Standards are carefully overseen by the City of Seattle Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC) and Apprenticeship Sub-Committees, which consist of experienced journey-level workers, City Light Apprenticeship Coordinators, and management personnel.

Eligibility and Qualifications

To be eligible for a Seattle City Light internship, candidates typically need to meet the following criteria:

Must be enrolled in accredited college courses, with a part-time or full-time course load leading to a graduate, baccalaureate, associate or two-year certificated degree relevant to the internship.
Usually, students in their sophomore, junior, senior, and graduate years of school are hired.
For the PMO internship, enrollment in an accredited certificate, 2-year or 4-year undergraduate educational program during their internship is required.
Preferred areas of study for the PMO internship include Project Management, Engineering, Architectural, or related fields.
Undergraduate students in the PMO internship will need to maintain a 2.0 GPA or above throughout the internship.

Desired qualifications for the PMO internship include:

Strong organizational skills
Ability to learn new tasks quickly
Management of multiple tasks
Technical skills with SharePoint, PowerPoint, and MS Office.

Application Process

Summer internship opportunities are typically posted in January and start in May or June, depending on your school schedule. Internships for part-time work during the school year are posted in early February, August, and November. These internships start around the beginning of the corresponding academic quarter and last anywhere from 3-12 months.

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To complete your application, submit the online form with the following attachments:

Resume
Cover letter explaining how your coursework, activities, and experience qualify you for this internship.
Your unofficial transcript - including current coursework, next term registration (if available at the time of application).
If applicable - for students transitioning from an undergraduate to graduate program, submit admissions offer to the graduate program to confirm intention of fall enrollment.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Internship Duration and Hours

Summer Internships: Typically last around 3 months, but some may last longer.
School Year Internships: Last anywhere from 3-12 months.
Year-long Internships: The timeframe of this internship will be one year in duration, with either a May (semester schools) or June (quarter schools) start date.
PMO Internship: The timeframe of this internship will be one year in duration, with either a May (semester schools) or June (quarter schools) 2026 start date.
Hatchery Internship: The timeframe of this internship will be three months in duration, with either a May (semester schools) or June (quarter schools) 2025 start date.

Working hours are up to 40 per week during the summer, and a max of 20 per week during the academic year. Work hours can be scheduled between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm.

Salary and Benefits

Pay Range: $22.56 â $30.00 per hour.
Undergraduate students (PMO): will be paid $22.56 an hour.
Apprenticeships at City Light: are full-time, paid positions, earning at least $46.36/hour to start, with wage step increases as you gain experience and knowledge.
Full salary range: for some positions is $26.71-$26.71 per hour.

Interns do not receive benefits but can obtain a subsidized ORCA pass and accrue sick time that can be used after 90 days of employment.

Other benefits include:

Professional and educational development
Meaningful and educational opportunities that compliment your academic program.
Establish effective networking relationships with professional staff, which may be beneficial to future career development.
Access to City-sponsored training and professional development modules.
Diverse array of work experiences, responsibilities, and opportunities to help make Seattle a great place to live, work, and play.
Competitive pay and benefits
Commuting benefits including ORCA passes, car share discounts, and ride matches.
Paid sick and safe leave (after 90 days of employment).
Access to the City's Flash Mentorship program.

Hybrid Work and Location Requirements

The City has the expectation that interns will be readily available to report to onsite at work in Seattle in accordance with the current Mayoral mandate of a minimum of 3 days per week. Additional in-person work requirements are based on business need and determined by the hiring authority. Interns must have a Washington State address and live in Washington State at the time of hire and for the duration of their employment.

Background Check

Job offers are contingent on the verification of credentials and other information required by the employment process, including the completion of a background check. The background check will involve a criminal history check, which includes conviction and arrest records in compliance with the Seattleâs Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, SMC 14.17 and the City of Seattle Personnel Rule 10.3. A driving history review may be conducted in compliance with SMC 4.79.020. Applicants will be provided an opportunity to explain or correct background information.

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) Internships

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) also offers internships, providing individuals with career pathways to work with and learn from SPUâs employees. These internships contribute to various projects and initiatives within the utility.

SPU interns have reported valuable experiences, including:

Learning the importance of building trust and empathy with colleagues and community members.
Gaining insight into the perspective of a government organization working for the people of the city.
Developing collaboration skills and learning how to effectively work with others.
Applying classroom knowledge to real-world scenarios and diving into new topics.
Understanding the importance of cross-departmental collaboration in policy development.
Learning about the structure of SPU and the public sector.
Supporting community notification and engagement for major SPU projects.
Understanding the importance of recycling, composting, and reuse.
Gaining knowledge of drainage systems throughout Seattle.

BEAM Class and Assessment

The BEAM class is another opportunity offered. The assessment is available during specific windows throughout the year. If the assessment testing period is open, the time frame will be posted below. To participate:

Create a Cornerstone account or login.
Click âLaunchâ and take the test.
Review your score. If you received a score of 80% or more, you will be entered into a lottery.
You will be notified whether you were randomly selected or not to participate in the BEAM class.

Resources are available for additional preparation in math, tools, or driving skills.

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