New: Streamlined Application Process

Businesses can register and apply for training grants through our new Grants Management System.

Register and Apply for Internship Training Grants Here

Helping Businesses Build Future Talent

The Internship Grants program aims to empower local businesses by providing resources to establish structured, hands-on learning experiences. These internships are designed to equip individuals with the critical skills, knowledge, and abilities necessary for successful workplace participation. While government entities are generally ineligible for participation, exceptions are made for Wyoming county and memorial hospitals, as well as providers of emergency medical services.

What Internships Should Provide

  1. Real-World Experience: Interns should work on meaningful projects or tasks under the guidance of a designated supervisor. The purpose of an internship is to provide a short-term structured learning opportunity for an individual to acquire knowledge and skills to an industry or occupation. It is not meant to advance the operations of the employer or to “substitute” the work that a regular employer would routinely perform.
  2. Department Exposure: Opportunities to observe, contribute, and rotate through various areas of the organization.
  3. Career Growth: Access to mentorship, industry networking, and career connections.
  4. Training and Feedback: Structured or on-the-job training, paired with regular, constructive feedback to support professional development.

For any questions or assistance, email us at: dws-wdtf-internship@wyo.gov.

Program Parameters and Eligibility

  • Internship Duration: An internship may be up to 960 hours. A full-time internship (40 hours/week) can run for about 6 months. The internship period may not exceed six months in length. The Start Date on the application must begin at least 15 days from the date of submission. For example, if you are submitting an application on January 1st, the start date must be January 16th or after.
  • Grant Amendments: Approved grants may be amended once to extend the internship period by up to 60 days. This extension can be requested through your Grant Portal under the Tasks tab as an Amendment Request. Changes are considered on a case-by-case basis. An amendment request must be submitted at least 20 days before the end date of the internship.
  • Wage Reimbursement: Businesses can receive up to $18/hour for intern wages, with proper documentation. Intern wages should reflect the learning nature of the role, typically at the lower end of the wage scale. WDTF recommends O*Net Online for the wage data in the application. Please review the O*Net Instructions before submitting your documentation.
  • Internship Limits:
    • Businesses can sponsor up to 6 internships per fiscal year.
    • Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAP) may sponsor up to 10 internships.
    • If awarded internship grants across fiscal years, the business can have only 6 active internships at one time.
  • Hiring Timeline: Interns must be hired no earlier than 30 days before submitting the application and no later than 60 days after the Internship Start Date.
  • Mentor Assignment: Each intern must have a mentor with relevant experience and education in the field. Mentors can oversee no more than two interns simultaneously.

How to Apply

Step 1: Register your Business

All businesses must complete a one time registration application in order to gain access into the Grant Management System.. Registration approval can take up to 1-2 weeks to process. If any good standing verifications come back needing clarification, an email will be sent to the contact information provided on the registration. All clarifications or good standings requested must be updated or corrected within 60 calendar days in order for the registration application to remain active. If requested items are not completed within that timeline, the registration will be rejected and a new registration application will need to be submitted. Please ensure your business meets the following requirements to avoid delays in the registration process

  • Good Standing: Your business must be registered and in good standing with:
    • Wyoming Unemployment Insurance (UI)
    • Workers’ Compensation (WC)
    • Wyoming Secretary of State (SoS)
    • Workforce Development Training Fund (WDTF)
    • HireWyo: Your business must also be registered and in good standing with HireWYO. This process may take an additional 1-2 weeks, especially if your WC or UI accounts need to be updated.

*IMPORTANT: Good standings with SOS, UI, WC, and HireWyo are verified at each application submission. It is the responsibility of the business to ensure good standing prior to submitting applications for funding. 

Step 2: Build & Submit Your Application

  • Applications can be created and submitted at any time.
  • Each application is one intern per application. If you are requesting multiple interns, a new application will need to be submitted for each internship.

Step 3: Review Process

  • Applications may take up to two weeks to review and approve or deny.
  • Revision requests may be sent from the WDTF team for the application submitted. Application revisions must be completed within two (2) business days. If revisions are not received, the application status will automatically be adjusted to rescinded and closed for submission.
    • Please ensure the primary contact of the business has an updated email address for communications. 
    • Application will be sent back for revisions up to 2 times. If more revisions are needed after that, the application will be denied and a new application will need to be submitted with all updated information. 
  • Approval is not guaranteed.

Step 4: Application Approvals

  • Approved applications will require a Letter of Agreement to be signed by the business and executed by the Director of DWS before training begins. This agreement will be assigned through the grant portal under the “Tasks” section of the approved grant. The signed agreement must be returned to DWS within five (5) business days in order to be accepted. If not received, the agreement will be considered void and the grant will be cancelled. The Letter of agreement will outline:
    • Approved training timelines
    • Approved amount 
    • Responsibilities of the grantee
    • Responsibilities of DWS

Step 5: Application Denials

  • Application denial emails will be sent to either the primary or signatory contact, whichever submitted the application.

The Wyoming Internship Funding program offers businesses an excellent opportunity to cultivate talent while supporting individuals in their career growth. Don’t miss this chance to make a meaningful impact on your organization and your community!

WDTF has recently received additional funding through the Wyoming Innovation Partnership to support young adult internships. The application process for this funding will align with our current WDTF Internship Grant processes. In order to be eligible for this funding the intern must be both a student and between the ages of 16-24.

Internship Grant Resources