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Welcoming the future leaders in public service

On Tuesday, June 6, the Partnership was filled with fresh energy and bright young minds as we opened our doors to the summer 2022 cohort of the Future Leaders in Public Service Internship Program.

The program gives aspiring young people the opportunity to gain experience working in the federal government at the departments of Transportation and Commerce. Launched in collaboration with Schmidt Futures, the new initiative will help the Partnership meet its goal of bringing diverse young talent into the federal workforce.

“The reason the Partnership was founded was to get more young people into government,” Michelle Amante, the Partnership’s vice president of federal workforce programs, told the attendees. “Sadly, two decades later, still only 7% of the federal workforce is under the age of 30. But I think the tide is going to turn with you all.”

The Partnership selected 150 participants for the summer 2022 cohort from more than 1,000 applications. More than 80 attendees joined in-person and online to welcome the new interns, who are interested in career tracks related to public policy and administration, STEM and innovation, mission support and more. Each intern will receive a $4,000 stipend for their work.

During the event, Vince Micone, the executive director for enterprise services at the Department of Commerce, shared how a meaningful internship helped launch his government career and encouraged young leaders to recognize the impact they can make on our country by working in government. “America is an idea. …Understand that what you’re doing is contributing to the greatest ambition and the greatest organization of the best idea that we have,” he said.

Interested in joining us? Check out our program webpage for information on the next cohort of the Future Leaders in Public Service Internship Program. Application updates will be released in early fall 2022.

Photo credit: Joshua Roberts

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