Kaptivate believes that America’s future workforce – and the sustainable talent pipeline it depends on – requires our investment. That’s why we prioritize paid internships. This isn’t about free labor or busywork. This is about fueling our business today while igniting the workforce of tomorrow. 

Here are 3 reasons why interns are a win for our business:

• Our interns move real client projects forward. They aren’t making copies, fetching coffees, or doing made-up projects. They design materials, analyze data, make videos 508-compliant, build request forms to enhance productivity, research business development opportunities and much more. 
• Interns bring fresh perspectives, unique skills and diverse ideas to help our clients. –and our business. 
• Hiring interns provides high ROI. Investing in young talent through paid internships is just smart business. And, thanks to our interns, we have the data to prove it! Last year alone, our interns helped save our small business nearly $25,000.

And it’s not just about us; our interns benefit too. Interns receive mentorship and work alongside experienced professionals. Our interns contribute to creative projects in education, workforce development, open innovation, and much more. They work on marketing and communications, data storytelling, and project management. These real client projects build their resumes, broaden their skillset, and boost their confidence. Perhaps the most impactful benefit is the opportunity our interns have to interact with other professionals in-person. These interactions are learning opportunities to collaborate, debate and build critical interpersonal and leadership skills. Oh, and Kaptivate’s interns get paid well too–above minimum wage.

We’ve been recognized as a top Virginia employer for internships by the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP). We’re proud of our longstanding internship program, which began in 2018 with undergrad and graduate students and expanded in 2023 to include high school students as well. Programs like ours fuel our talent pipeline and the broader economy. 

If your business isn’t investing in internships, ask yourself: can you afford not to? Let’s stop talking about the talent crisis—and start solving it, together.