High School Intern

AECOM is actively seeking a creative, highly talented High School Intern for immediate employment in the Virginia Beach, VA office.

AECOM is proud to support high school students who are interested in Engineering or Architecture as they transition into the college.  This position offers students the opportunity to explore career interests and gain practical experience that can help guide their college and career decisions. 

This position is expected to start in November 2026.

Internship Purpose:

The proposed internship would provide a high school student with meaningful experience in multidisciplinary building design, with primary emphasis on electrical engineering and Revit. The high school student must be a senior in high school. The internship would begin in November 2026 and continue through May 31, 2027. The high school student will complete at least 140 documented hours which is a typical requirement through the EBA academy program with the Virginia Beach Public School system (VBCPS) and would typically work approximately 6 to 8 hours per week, with additional hours when his or her academic schedule, office workload, and available supervision allows.

Proposed Activities:

• Learn workplace expectations, safety, professional communication, and the building-design process.
• Learn Revit and Bluebeam using approved training files or nonconfidential project material.
• Develop basic electrical layouts, including lighting, receptacles, panels, equipment, circuits, and schedules.
• Perform introductory lighting and electrical load calculations under professional supervision.
• Spend time with the mechanical department to learn basic HVAC layouts, equipment coordination, and introductory calculations.
• Receive brief exposure to architecture, structural, civil, plumbing, and fire-protection coordination when staff availability permits.
• Participate in design reviews, address markups, and learn the quality-control process.

Defined Project and Measurable Outcome:

The high school student’s primary project would be the development of a simplified, coordinated Child Development Center building design. This project is similar to a multidisciplinary design exercise recently completed by college interns and would allow the student to apply the skills learned during the internship.

Expected work products would include:

• A coordinated Revit model and preliminary drawing package.
• Basic lighting, power, and selected mechanical layouts.
• Introductory lighting, electrical-load, and mechanical calculations.
• A coordination log identifying issues found and revisions made.
• A final project summary and material supporting his school capstone presentation.

Progress would be measured by completion of the assigned model and drawing elements, calculation accuracy, review comments addressed, coordination issues identified and resolved, and the quality of the final presentation material.

Supervision and School Requirements:

• A designated mentor would provide ongoing supervision, establish monthly goals, review assignments, and gradually increase responsibility as the student demonstrates proficiency.
• The mentor would verify hours monthly, complete required evaluations, support the student’s research using only permissible information, and communicate with the VBCPS Internship Coordinator as needed.
• AECOM would complete the required Worksite Safety Evaluation and Standard Training Agreement through Schoolinks before the internship begins.
• The mentor would be invited to participate in or attend the student’s capstone presentation in May 2027.