Stipend program aims to expand internships in Sioux Falls

If your team could use extra summer support, the Intern Sioux Falls Stipend Program is a practical way to bring on a strong intern while keeping costs manageable. This new offering complements the Foundation’s broader Intern Sioux Falls program, which connects students from regional colleges and universities with Sioux Falls businesses through internships.

The stipend program provides financial assistance, along with marketing and policy support, to employers with 250 or fewer employees who do not yet offer internships. With this added support, employers can move forward on internal projects that improve productivity and strengthen day-to-day operations—work that often gets pushed back when teams are lean.

What the stipend covers

Intern Sioux Falls provides a $2,500 stipend that is matched by the employer to host a paid intern from one of five local colleges: Augustana University, Dakota State University, South Dakota State University, the University of South Dakota, and the University of Sioux Falls. The internship must be full-time for eight weeks.

This shared investment keeps the internship affordable for employers while providing meaningful, career-building opportunities for college students.

Benefits of hosting an intern

Internships are among the most reliable ways to build a sustainable talent pipeline that aligns with your organization.

• A proven “try-before-you-hire” pathway. National internship benchmarks show employers convert about 53% of interns into full-time hires, making internships a direct and efficient recruiting channel.

• Better retention for former interns. Research from the National Association of Colleges and Employers consistently reports that long-term employee retention is higher for employees who started as interns. After one year, retention for internal-intern hires is around 73–75%, and they are significantly more likely to stay long-term than hires without internship experience.

• Lower onboarding and recruiting costs. Interns who return full-time already know your culture, systems, and expectations, shortening ramp-up time and reducing the cost of repeated hiring searches.

Immediate support on real projects

Intern Sioux Falls students can make a difference in your organization through areas like:

• Human resources, communications, and marketing (content support, social media, onboarding materials, internal communications, event prep)

• Operations and finance (process improvement, data organization, dashboards, customer flow, cost tracking)

• Special internal projects you want to move forward without pulling time from core staff

If you’ve been looking for a simple way to get help on priority work and grow your future workforce at the same time, Intern Sioux Falls is a great fit.

If you’re interested in learning more about the stipend program, reach out to Sioux Falls Development Foundation staff Denise Guzzetta, Vice President of Talent and Workforce, or Riley Johnson, Talent Recruitment Coordinator, at the contact information below.

Denise Guzzetta – deniseg@siouxfalls.com | Riley Johnson – rileyj@siouxfalls.com