RURAL WORKS!
Internship Program
Hire a NC State University Engineering Intern for $15 per Hour This Summer.
NC State University’s Rural Works! Internship Program connects students to employers in rural communities through paid summer internships.
The Rural Works! Internship Program
The Rural Works! Internship Program is affordable for the company and provides competitive pay for the engineering student. An engineering participation stipend is provided to students for employers in rural communities hosting interns in the field of engineering.
The company must agree to pay the intern $15 per hour and NC State University will pay the engineering student an additional $10 per hour, allowing the rural internship employer to attract the top candidates and be competitive with internship programs in larger, more urban areas in the state.
Easy to Participate
Participating in this initiative is a hassle-free process. Get started by submitting an Employer Interest Form before March 31, 2026.
The NC State University Industry Extension Services Regional Manager in your community can assist you, from creating internship descriptions, to developing interview questions and onboarding the intern. They can even help reserve space at one of the NC State-owned facility offices that are located across the state for interviews and meetings, if needed.
Timeline | Deadlines
October – March 31, 2026: Submit Employer Interest Form
October-March: Work with your Industry Extension Services Regional Manager to write job descriptions and develop interview questions
April 10, 2026: All hiring must be completed and reported.
May – August: Your Industry Extension Services Regional Manager will follow up with you through the duration of the internship and at the end of the program to receive feedback.
Benefits to Employers
Benefits to Students
Empowering Rural Communities
The impact of Rural Works! Internship Program extends far beyond the classroom and internship placements. By the Summer of 2024, NC State University placed 560 Rural Works! interns with organizations in 48 North Carolina counties in a span of five years. By channeling the energy and enthusiasm of talented students into rural areas, the program becomes a catalyst for positive change. Interns engage with local residents, contribute to product innovation, provide fresh ideas, help solve organizational challenges and complete technical projects for the employers.
Employer Requirements
Read Rural Works! Success Stories
Watch Rural Works! Student Videos
Read a Success Story About the Rural Works! Program.
Read about the Schindler Elevator Corporation experience with Rural Works!
Hear About Rural Works! From the Students
Visit Rural Works! Summer 2021 Internships – YouTube to review their impactful project work and hear about what their internship experience through Rural Works! meant to them.
“If not for the Rural Works! program, it would have been very difficult to find myself working outside of Raleigh and still managing to pay for schooling expenses. I have been blessed by the program.” — Kaleb Jessup, fourth year engineering student and Rural Works! intern