Summer Internship
Application Now Open for the HDA Summer Internship!
2023 Application Now Closed
Ready to make a difference with your summer break?
If you’re looking for a summer job that helps expand your experience while also helping your community, our internship is for you! The REACH Summer Internship Program offers an 8-week paid internship for high school seniors (and those who graduated from a local high school last year), who are at least 18 years of age and no older than 20, in Breathitt, Knott, Leslie, and Perry counties (in Eastern Kentucky) planning to pursue careers in the construction trade and/or who have an interest in serving low-income Appalachian people.
The program includes hands-on training, exposes recent high school graduates to opportunities in the construction industry by working alongside HDA’s experienced crews of carpenters, networking with local subcontractors, and participating in building and repairing homes for those in need. Along with learning about careers, interns learn valuable new job skills, teamwork, and interpersonal communications skills.
The Housing Development Alliance (HDA) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, minorities, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
If you're at least *18 years old and will graduate this year (or graduated in 2022) from a high school in Breathitt, Knott, Leslie or Perry County, KY, you can:
Intern for 8 weeks this summer
Gain real-world work experience in the construction trade
Earn $10/hour + benefits by interning 40 hours/4-day week
Work with professional HDA carpenters on new home construction and home repair projects
Build career skills and help local families in need of housing
Earn a solid work reference and more employment opportunities
*Must turn 18 by June 5, 2023. Only 18 to 20-year-olds who meet our requirements may apply.
Funded in part and made possible by the Berea College Appalachian Fund, HDA’s paid summer internship provides yet another investment in our community by connecting young people to the skills, resources, and experience needed to succeed in our local workforce.
Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and will graduate in 2023 (or graduated in 2022) from high schools in Breathitt, Knott, Leslie, or Perry counties in Eastern Kentucky.
While students were still reeling from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, a devastating flood hit our region on July 28, 2022, just prior to the start of the new school year. Some area schools were washed away in floodwaters, while others were damaged. Mountain communities rallied together, but the disruptions to learning and everyday life have had devastating effects on student wellbeing and their academic performance. Our internship offers an opportunity for youth in our rural service area to learn the construction trade, help families in their community who are in need of affordable housing, and earn money they can save for future opportunities or use to meet their own individual needs.
Purpose
The purpose of HDA’s REACH Summer Internship is to provide a unique paid work experience opportunity for youth in our community.
Often, after high school, rural young people in Eastern Kentucky have limited opportunities due to various socioeconomic factors. Good-paying jobs are scarce, and since the majority of families in our area are low-income, a lot of our youth have trouble affording higher education.
Our internship offers youth in our service area the chance to learn a trade, save money for school, and develop skills they can use in other professions and in life.
Our Goals
- Provide youth an experience advantage when entering the workforce
- Help youth learn skills and save money as they discover what next step they should take in their lives (enter the workforce or go on to a trade school or college/university)
- Open doors to more opportunities for local youth, especially as they serve their community with HDA by helping provide affordable homes and by providing labor for the local construction industry
- Aid HDA in meeting our yearly production goals for new homes constructed and homes rehabbed/repaired, including new homes & repairs for Eastern Kentucky flood survivors
What's Our Summer Internship Like? Let Our 2022 Interns Tell You!
Questions? Need Assistance? Contact:
Mindy Miller, Director of Development & Communications
Office: 606-436-0497
