The Value of Internship Programs: A Two-Way Street

Now that summer has ended and college students are back on campus, many just closed a chapter on an internship experience. Like many organizations, American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP) has long offered an internship program that allows students to apply their classroom learning, sharpen real-world skills, and prepare for the workforce.

But internships are a two-way street. Students gain experience and perspective, while companies invest in future talent and support current employees. Interns free up time for staff, contribute directly to projects, and sometimes become full-time hires after graduation.

I know this firsthand. I began my career in public power in the late 1980s as an AMP intern. I grew up in a utility household: My father was an engineer for an investor-owned utility and my mother had worked as a telephone operator for a private phone company. I learned around the dinner table the importance of reliable utility service. My AMP internship deepened that understanding and introduced me to the public power business model, where not-for-profit utilities provide affordable, reliable service to their communities. It didn’t take long to realize I had found my career home. More than 35 years later, I’m still working in public power.

Each year, AMP invests in its internship program, placing students across nearly every department. Nationwide, the average internship lasts about 18 weeks, according to the 2021 National Survey of College Internships, making it a significant commitment for both employer and student. To date, in 2025, AMP has hired nine interns; in 2024, there were 10, and nine in each of the previous two years.

Internships can lead to full-time employment

AMP’s program has also built a pathway to full-time employment. Over the past decade, we have hired 103 interns, with 14 accepting full-time positions after graduation. Eleven remain on staff. This matters for retention: LinkedIn data shows former interns are 20 percent less likely to leave a company within one year compared to non-intern peers, and still less likely to leave within three years.

For students, the value is just as strong. Internships allow them to:

• Build connections in their field and transition more smoothly into full-time roles.
• Apply classroom learning to real-world projects while developing leadership skills.
• Gain experience that makes them more competitive with future employers.
• Strengthen soft skills — communication, resilience, optimism, curiosity — that aren’t always taught in school.
• Determine what they enjoy working on and what they don’t enjoy working on to help in charting a path forward in their early career.

Intern scholarship launched in 2025

At AMP, interns handle meaningful projects. One example is Kyle Krieger, a civil engineering student from The Ohio State University who interned in AMP’s Generation Operations department in 2014. He worked with contractors on the construction of the Willow Island Hydroelectric Plant on the Ohio River. Kyle went on to a successful career at Turner Construction Company, helping build the National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus. Sadly, he passed away in 2024 after a battle with cancer. To honor his legacy, AMP established the Kyle Andrew Krieger Memorial Scholarship for current or former interns continuing their education.

The first scholarship was recently awarded to Traevon Roberts, a rising junior at the University of Toledo pursuing a degree in electrical engineering. Traevon recently completed a summer internship at the AMP Fremont Energy Center, our natural gas combined cycle facility in Fremont, Ohio. He demonstrated a strong work ethic, leadership, and academic achievement — qualities Kyle himself embodied.

AMP was proud both to honor Kyle’s memory and invest in Traevon’s future. It is a reminder that internships are not just short-term assignments, but stepping stones that can shape careers.

Over the years, AMP has been fortunate to welcome many talented, hardworking interns. Some have joined our team permanently, while others have gone on to successful careers elsewhere. Whether through internships or scholarships, AMP remains committed to supporting students, strengthening the workforce, and nurturing the next generation of public power professionals.