Young adults in Santa Cruz County now have expanded access to paid internships through a program that places them with local businesses and nonprofits. Santa Cruz Works, in partnership with Cabrillo College and the City of Santa Cruz, is offering more than 10 paid internships through the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Internship Opportunity Program. The initiative is designed for young adults 18 and older living in underserved communities, with priority given to residents of Beach Flats, Lower Ocean, Live Oak, Watsonville, San Lorenzo Valley, and the Pajaro Valley.
Unlike unpaid internships that can exclude those who cannot afford to work without pay, these positions provide wages, flexible schedules of 10 to 20 hours per week, professional mentorship, and career development. All internships must conclude by June 1, 2027. Participating organizations represent a range of industries, including technology, marketing, media, sustainability, business operations, and community services. Host organizations include Clean Oceans International, Coastwoods Real Estate / Legacy Property, GeoPulse Solutions Inc., KRML, Mission Hill Creamery, People First of Santa Cruz, Sarah Marschall Strategy, Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter Foundation, Santa Cruz Children's Museum of Discovery, Tannery World Dance and Cultural Center, Treeswax, and United Way of Santa Cruz County.
The program builds on a first cohort that placed young adults in roles such as software engineering, marketing, communications, video production, and community outreach. Yuliana Morales-Galvan, a software engineering intern at Nurbli, helped improve digital tools supporting Indigenous families. Emily Ramirez developed social media and outreach skills at Clean Oceans International, while Elsa Tamayo gained marketing and communications experience at Siena House.
Funded through a grant awarded to the City of Santa Cruz, the AHSC program launched in June 2025 with Digital NEST and expanded in its second cohort to include Cabrillo College as a workforce development partner. The initiative supports economic mobility, career readiness, and a stronger local workforce by connecting education with real-world experience.
Young adults interested in applying can view available positions on the Santa Cruz Works - Paid Internship Opportunities webpage. Cabrillo College students may also complete a Student Interest Form linked there. There is no cost to apply, and prior professional experience is not required.
The expansion matters because it addresses a persistent barrier for low-income young adults: the inability to take unpaid internships that often serve as gateways to careers. By offering paid, mentored positions with local employers, the program aims to build confidence, professional networks, and skills that strengthen future job and college applications—while also helping local businesses and nonprofits develop talent in a region where economic mobility can be uneven. For HR vendors, this signals a growing trend toward paid internship models that prioritize equity and workforce development. Vendors that offer tools for internship management, payroll, or learning and development may find new opportunities as programs like this scale. The partnership between a community college and local workforce agency also highlights the role of educational institutions in talent pipelines, suggesting that HR technology providers should consider integrations with academic systems. As more regions adopt similar paid internship initiatives, vendors that can support flexible, short-term, and mentored work arrangements will be well-positioned to meet demand.
