Summer Internship Programme

Applications for the 2025/26 Health, Safety and Wellbeing Summer Internship will open at the end of July 2025.

Have questions? Watch our interns video diaries below about their experience or read our frequently asked questions page(external link).

Looking for a stepping-stone into a rewarding career pathway?
Gain valuable paid work experience working alongside a passionate Health, Safety and Wellbeing team?
Contribute to work projects that support the mental and physical health of Aotearoa New Zealand

Our award winning Government Health and Safety Lead (GHSL) Summer Internship programme runs annually and is in it's eighth year. In 2024 we hit a significant milestone in our intern programme. To date we have had 110 interns participated in our programme.

The programme is designed to build a pipeline of future passionate health, safety, and wellbeing professionals for the public sector. Our interns gain valuable insights, business experience and the opportunity first hand to see why health, safety and wellbeing is so important in our workplaces and everyday lives. Even though we can't guarantee employment at the end of the programme, we have been successful in seeing many of our interns go on to work in Health, Safety and Wellbeing roles across the public sector and beyond.

The demand for skilled health and safety professionals is continues to outstrip the supply available within the New Zealand market. Therefore, this presents graduates with an unique opportunity to consider a career in health, safety and wellbeing profession to develop their competence to be able to step into these in demand roles. H&S careers can offer a wide range of operational and stategic roles, a variety of disciplines and specialisms across the public and private sector domestically and internationally which are well remunerated.

What we offer

Our internship programme is upto three months. Successful applicants will:

Gain an understanding of why health, safety and wellbeing is important and the wide array of areas it covers in government.
Be paid! Our interns are employed by a government agency in their health, safety, and wellbeing team.
Contribute to valuable pieces of work or mini projects in a diverse and interesting organisation.
We’ll help you build a professional network.
Check out what the programme really like by watching our videos below or reading this article.

"I didn’t know my degree could lead to a career in HSW, but I thought the programme sounded like a great opportunity to put psychology theory into practice. And that’s all you need –to find something which interests you, and you might be surprised to see just how relevant your studies will be to your work. I have always wanted to apply my studies in a way that can help keep people safe, and it’s fair to say I haven’t been disappointed with my HSW internship.”

Zung Mai, 2022/23 Intern, working as H&S Advisor at Plunkett

Who should apply?

We are looking for people who are enthusiastic, motivated, and eager to learn about Health, Safety and Wellbeing.

Be studying in New Zealand, in full time tiertary education, ideally in their final year of study, or going into their final year in 2025. Studying one or more undergraduate degrees or diploma in any of these disciplines: Health Science, Occupational Health and Safety, Health Promotion, Public Health, Pacific and Māori Health, Global Health, Psychology, Human Resources, Environmental Science, Criminology or another area of study related to this programme.
Ideally, we would like to have students who have completed one or more papers in a related area of study to health, safety, and wellbeing.
Who are genuinely interested in starting a career in Health, Safety and Wellbeing and have a cultural background and or lived experience with disability.
Demonstrate a good work ethic and communication skills.
Available to work full time (upto 40 hours per week) from mid November to mid of February (excluding the Christmas/new year holidays) for approximately three month programme.
Eligible to live, study and work in New Zealand.

Application process

Stage 1
Apply through the MPI Careers Portal by sending your Covering Letter and Curriculm Vitae (CV).

Stage 2
You will be asked to complete a short video interview with pre-provided questions which will be under timed conditions. This stage is for us to find out more about you, why you selected your preferred agencies and your motivations to assess your application.

Stage 3
You will be invited to an interview meeting, in person or online, to meet host managers and answer questions. Candidates will be expected to cover their own travel and relocation expenses. Please note: In some circumstances candidates may be asked to attend a second interview.

Stage 4
Agencies will select their preferred candidates, who will be asked to undergo reference checks. Successful candidates will receive offers of employment from their specific agencies.

Listen to what our past Interns have to say about the programme.

2023/24 GHSL Summer Intern Video - Using the programme to transition from University to Work life.	2024/25 GHSL Summer Intern Video - Week in a Life as an Intern.

2022/2023 Summer Interns -Why You Must Apply?	2021/2022 Summer Interns -Why you will be working on?

2020/2021 Summer Interns - What's in it for you?	2019/2020 Summer Interns - What we've learnt.

2018/2019 Summer Interns - Sharing our insights.	2017/2018 GHSL Summer Interns - One year on!