Thousand Strong

Preparing Youth. Accelerating Careers.

Thousand Strong is a community effort to strengthen Sacramento by preparing our youth – the future talent pool – for success in careers through training and year-long, paid internships.

Join Mayor Steinberg’s
Thousand Strong

Our mission at Thousand Strong is to work together as a community to boost Sacramento’s economic prosperity by working with local businesses to create a pool of skilled, experienced young talent. Our year-long, paid internship program matches young, talented students with businesses and then readies those interns for success on the job. And we’re aiming for 1000 internships.

Read more in a message from Mayor Steinberg.

Our goal is to empower everyone. Young people get valuable training and job experience to elevate futures and kick-start careers. Businesses grow from the addition of energetic, ready-to-learn youth. And Sacramento’s economy ultimately benefits over the long term from an infusion of focused talent into our labor pool.

I am a Student I am an Employer

Thousand Strong isn’t just any student internship program.

No matter your future plans and career dreams, whether you plan to pursue higher education or enter the workforce right away, a paid internship is a fantastic head start. All of our internships are paid, and we’ll match you up with the best possible fit in terms of project, location, and industry.

Benefits to Enrolling

  • Workplace skills and technical training at no cost to you
  • 500+ hours of paid work over the summer and school year
  • Access to local and national employers. Click here to view this year’s participating employer partners.

Enrollment Requirements

  • You must be enrolled in a participating high school – see application for the list of participating schools
  • Be 16 years old by June 16, 2017
  • Be able to work at least 25 hours per week during the summer and continue working 7-10 hours per week during the school year
  • Complete a qualifying Thousand Strong summer partner program

Thank you for your interest in Thousand Strong. Enrollment is now closed.

Apply Now

What do employers gain from Thousand Strong?

Businesses are intimately linked with the communities they’re based in. Companies depend on local consumers to buy their products and use their services. And in return, businesses provide job opportunities for workers to improve skills and gain experience. When this dynamic is optimized, the success of businesses reverberates, communities prosper, and the entire region benefits from economic growth.

And when economic growth in a region is strong, talented people stay in the region, and others flock to it. This creates a larger labor pool to hire from, reduces turnover, and gives businesses the advantage in a competitive global economy. Hiring motivated youth and helping prepare them for their professional futures isn’t just a noble cause; it makes a direct impact on your own business and the economic health of our entire community. Everyone benefits.

How You Can Get Involved

We’re looking for Sacramento-area businesses that can commit to hiring a student for a paid 9-12 month internship, to begin this summer and continue throughout the school year. Businesses that participate must commit to:

  • Hire at least one Sacramento high school junior/senior (16-18 years old)
  • Attend a half-day employer onboarding session
  • Provide a paid 9-12 month internship
  • Complete an interim and final evaluation for each intern
  • Become a champion for youth career readiness

If you’re interested in joining us as we embark on changing the face of career readiness in Sacramento, and can commit to hiring one or more interns starting Summer 2017, please fill out the form below. A staff member from Thousand Strong will be in touch with further details.

Click here to view this year’s participating employer partners.

Questions? Email us.

  • Employer Enrollment Information

  • Select all that apply
  • Select all that apply