Summer 2018 Internship Program is First Major AEF Initiative

Washington, DC – As its first major undertaking, the AEF designed a comprehensive internship program to help companies in the commercial real estate industry identify, train, and (ultimately) hire entry-level building engineering employees. Launched in the summer of 2018, the internship program is the first of many educational, marketing, recruitment, outreach, and professional development programs the Foundation will offer as a way of promoting careers in the building engineering and maintenance workforce sector.

The first eight-week paid internship program provided structured, full-time employment (at a $15 per hour wage) this summer for 10 interns who were employed by eight different property management companies. The interns – who were selected following a competitive application process – worked alongside experienced building engineers at office buildings in Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and suburban Maryland.

We are delighted to report that four internship graduates are currently working in the industry – one as an apprentice for an IBEW electrician and three as maintenance technicians working for local property management companies — Akridge, Lincoln Property Company, and Brandywine Realty Trust.

Internship Program Goal: Double the Number of Interns for 2019

In 2019, the Foundation will strive to more than double the number of interns (from 10 to more than 20) who will work with local property management companies during an expanded 12-week program. As was the case with the inaugural internship program, the next group of interns will attend weekly cohort-based training sessions, and AEF team members will work one-on-one with the interns to help them land jobs in the industry at the end of the program.

The application period for the 2019 internship program will open in early 2019. Additional information about this program is available on the Foundation’s website: www.aobafoundation.org.

The AOBA Educational Foundation (AEF), a 501(c)(3) organization, was incorporated in 2017 for the purpose of promoting the education of individuals seeking to pursue careers in building operations throughout the Washington, DC region. Initially, efforts are focused on the critical need to promote careers in commercial property management engineering and maintenance. (www.aobafoundation.org).