The local and First Nation government internship programs provide grant funding for municipalities, regional districts and First Nation governments within Northern Development’s service region to assist with the cost of hosting an intern for a 12-month period.
Header image: Haida Heritage Centre. Visit haidaheritagecentre.com for more information.
The internship programs provide a high level of professional development and hands-on training that help prepare recent graduates with the skills, experience and connections they need to propel their career forward.
We gratefully acknowledge the partnership and support of the Local Government Management Association (LGMA) for funding one local government internship position in 2025, 2026 and 2027.
2009 – 2015 : Economic Development Internship Program*
2013 – Present: Local Government Internship Program
2015: Local Government Planning Internship Program*
2017 – Present: First Nation Government Internship Program
2020 – 2021: Business Development Internship Program(Pilot)*
*Retired Programs
Total number of interns
 (to date)
Alumni working in local government
  (to date)
Total number of placements
 (to date)
Alumni working in FIRST NATION government
 (to date)
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*Please ensure documents are downloaded and saved to your computer desktop prior to entering any information. If opened and completed with your internet browser, any infomation entered will not be saved.
The internship program objectives are:
Internship opportunities are not intended for positions otherwise covered by collective agreements. Host local governments and host First Nation governments are responsible for undertaking consultation with their respective unions to clarify the objectives of this program.
December 15
February 15
If you’d like to discuss your project in further detail with Northern Development staff, please contact us by email, phone, or filling out the form below. Also, we encourage you to reach out to us if you think you are eligible for funding for categories that are not specified here.