The Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy's Executive Internship Program provides you with a unique opportunity to attract high-quality students with a depth of policy knowledge and an eagerness to learn. Under the guidance of our JSGS Student Experience Officer, your organization can:

  • Gain access to highly capable and competent interns to support staffing workloads and new projects and initiatives;
  • Increase the visibility of your government ministry or organization with a targeted talent pool of policy professionals;
  • Introduce fresh and innovative perspectives within your ministry or organization; 
  • Assist students in building a valuable network within the public sector;
  • Help enhance and diversify the local workforce within your organization and community;
  • Provide opportunities for your current employees to develop leadership skills as executive mentors; and, 
  • Benefit from a cost-effective solution to gaining access to new talent.

On the other hand, our interns benefit from:

  • Gaining valuable and relevant work experience;
  • Developing new skills and advancing their professional growth;
  • Building a professional network;
  • Contributing to work files that impact society; and, by
  • Being compensated for their contributions. 

Partner with us today and attract top-tier talent to your organization! 

 

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Program Goals

The goal of each internship placement is to expose MPA students to and give them hands-on experience with a broad range of activities and issues related to public administration, public policy analysis and evaluation. Interns will apply their knowledge and skills and will contribute to your organization's processes through direct involvement in:

  • planning, policy development and analysis
  • budget development
  • program development and delivery
  • research and evaluation, and
  • strategic planning and reporting.

JSGS Executive Internship opportunities may be based in federal or provincial departments, other public agencies, and even non-governmental or international organizations and agencies.

Information for Mentors

Internship mentors range from a hiring managers to the most senior levels in their organizations and provide direction and guidance to the interns. Mentors will design and monitor the placement to ensure it is rewarding and meaningful for both the mentor and intern. Additionally, the mentor is encouraged and available to share their knowledge and experience through regularly scheduled meetings.

JSGS encourages three practices for structuring the internship

1. Supporting the organization’s needs

This can be day to day operations, project work, supporting other staff members, or whatever tasks are needed for your organization. The majority of work should be related to policy, programs, budget development, planning, reporting, and/or research.  

2. Major project

Interns are tasked with at least one substantive and meaningful project. The project should be valuable to the student’s professional development and develop skills for future employment.

3. Job Shadowing

Interns shadow their mentor in meetings, planning sessions, and other meaningful experiences. This should allow the intern to have experiences beyond an entry level position and to see how the organization functions and makes decisions.

The Student Experience Officer is happy to support you at any point in this process. In addition, there is a Mentor Orientation after you select an intern, and there is Mentorship Handbook in the Resources section for more detailed information.

 

Below is useful information regarding the Executive Internship Program Cycle to help you prepare for hiring JSGS executive interns!

Dates Activities
Jan. 2 - Feb. 15

 Interested partner organizations must submit an Intern Request Form by February 15.
Oct. 1- Mar. 15 Students who submit applications undergo a thorough assessment process which includes a review of their application, completion of a Briefing Note exercise, and an internal applicant interview.
End of March

Students review the available internship and select their top interests.
First two weeks of April

Mentors receive student packages, conduct interviews, and select potential interns.
Last two weeks of April

Matches are communicated to both parties and contract signing begins.
May

For those who do not have a successful match, additional pairing sessions continue.
Late May JSGS hosts intern/mentor orientations to answer any outstanding questions and to kick off the beginning of the Executive Internship Program.
Sept. - Apr. Intern placements begin each September and take place over the course of the following eight months. During this time, JSGS's Student Experience Officer is in constant contact with mentors to answer any questions and offer support throughout the program.
Apr. Mentors are required to complete an intern evaluation and submit it to the SEO by the end of April.

 

Applicants to the JSGS Executive Internship Program must be current (not graduated) MPA students with a minimum 75 percent average. They must also have completed at least 50 percent of their program by the time the internship placement begins.

Students must also complete the JSGS Internship Training Program which is based on mentor feedback. Students must complete a series of modules that focus on writing, verbal communication, and workplace culture to be eligible for the program.

Once contracts are signed, the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School invoices the partner organization $35,000 at the beginning of each eight-month internship. The partner organization is then responsible for paying either the school’s University of Regina or the University of Saskatchewan campus (identified on the invoice). The school then provides monthly compensation to each intern in the form of a scholarship.

Federal interns are compensated at an hourly rate of pay determined by the employer.

If you are interested in becoming a partnering organization and mentoring a JSGS Executive Intern, we ask that you complete the Intern Request Form (see Resources) and submit it to JSGS’s Student Experience Officer by February 15th.

The form will consist of the following information:

  • Contact information
  • Designated Mentor and Back-up Mentor
  • Number of interns requested
  • Student will select their preferred placements based on the following questions
    • What type of work does your organization do?
    • What are some potential projects you would like an intern to work on?
    • What skills and experience are you looking for in an intern?

If you have questions about the program, please contact js_internship@uregina.ca

Partnering Organizations

The Johnson Shoyama Graduate School is pleased to partner with many new and existing organizations on the Executive Internship Program, and would like to thank the following organizations for their involvement:

  • Government of Saskatchewan (Nine different Ministries)
  • City of Saskatoon
  • Innovation Saskatchewan
  • Provincial Auditor of Saskatchewan
  • Water Security Agency
  • Government of Canada
  • Canada West Foundation
  • City of Regina
  • eHealth Saskatchewan
  • Elections Saskatchewan
  • Saskatchewan Polytechnic
  • Saskatchewan Health Authority
  • Saskatchewan Institute, Conference Board of Canada
  • Saskatchewan School Board Association
  • SaskPower
  • Earnscliffe Strategy Group
  • University of Saskatchewan
  • Saskatchewan College of Paramedics and Saskatchewan Association of Medical Radiation Technologists

The JSGS would like to thank these organizations for their contributions, and we look forward to partnering with them again in the future.

Resources and Forms

The following resources have been developed to assist and guide mentors through the program:

Contact Us

If you have questions about the program and are interested in learning more, please contact js_internship@uregina.ca