Note: Please visit DPH Paid Internship Program for program details, timeline, and application deadline. You will have a chance to share which project(s) you are interested when you submit the application online.
Project: Local Public Health Workforce Development Operational Modernization
Organization: Office of Local and Regional Health
The OLRH workforce development unit serves the local and regional public health workforce within the Commonwealth and is responsible for maintaining workforce standards, training and developing the workforce, and for developing programs and initiatives to meet evolving workforce and public health needs. This proactive and detail oriented student will work on three key groups of initiatives within the OLRH workforce development unit's profile.
-
TRAIN MA
This program is part of a push for highly standardized and documented workforce credentialing in the commonwealth. The intern will work in a matrixed fashion with the OLRH learning and developing coordinator on administrative and operational tasks relating to user experience, use of the platform, and user guidance. Experience with LMS systems is preferred- many students already use them for their classes. It is anticipated that this will take 50% of the intern's time.
-
Careers in local public health website
This program is a crucial part of OLRH efforts to amplify local health recruitment, career development, and diversification. The intern will work in a direct fashion with their preceptor the recruitment and career development specialist. The intern will review and approve local health job postings, write messaging and copy if desired by the intern, and will perform other operational and administrative tasks as needed. It is anticipated that this will take 30% of the intern's time
-
Internal initiatives
The intern will join the recruitment and career development specialist in the careers of public health advisory committee, the racial equity steering committee, and other internal initiatives as interested or required to increase exposure to public health and office functions. This will take around 10% of the intern's time, and these will likely not involve deliverables but may involve note taking.
This internship experience will primarily be geared towards students with interest or experience in health policy and management, operations, and communications. The intern will immerse in key functions of the OLRH workforce development unit, synergizing with their classes. Most importantly, this internship will be designed to equip the participant with strategic and evergreen skills for working in governmental public health: how to communicate effectively, how to work in a matrixed or cross functional environment, how to prioritize and problem solve. The skills and competencies of the tasks crosswalk neatly with classes in health policy and management or communications and fall under key public health functional domains of workforce development and strategy to solve public health problems, and to increase equitable and accessible delivery of services.
Skills Required: A high degree of competence with administrative data management and detail orientation are required. LMS experience is a plus, but not required. MS suite competency is a must, as is a demonstrated ability to learn new platforms and systems quickly. No data management software or platforms will be used, and data management is outside of the scope of this internship, although the intern may interact with and potentially analyze data as they are comfortable and interested.
Technology Required: Laptop
Work Arrangement: Remote
Hours Per Week: 37.5
Preferred Eligibility: Students in Associates, Bachelors, and or Masters programs
Preferred Academic Experience: Health policy and management; operations and information management; health communications, and or related areas of study
For more information, please check out Program FAQs. You can also contact us by email dphinternship@mass.gov.