The Changing Face of Mobility Internships

The days of college students happily accepting any internship offer they might be lucky enough to land are over. Interns are a hot commodity these days, as HR managers seek to fill staffing holes left by the COVID-induced Great Resignation and ongoing talent market competition.

The talent war for interns is on, and not just to fill short-term project needs. A study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found that more than half of eligible interns become full-time employees. And NACE says five-year retention rates of in-house interns in 2024 were nearly 52%—up from the 44% reported in 2021. A creative internship program can be a lynchpin in helping organizations staff up for long-term viability.

2025 INSIGHT: With the competitive internship landscape becoming increasingly global, companies offering international or mobility internship programs now see 67% higher conversion rates from interns to full-time employees compared to domestic-only programs. This underscores the strategic value of investing in comprehensive mobility support for interns.

THE NEW REALITY: MULTIPLE OFFERS

The competitive shift in internship programs puts candidates in the driver’s seat when it comes to evaluating and choosing offers. “Many college students are juggling multiple summer internship offers as companies try to lock in entry-level talent. So fierce is this year’s competition, recruiters and career advisers said, that some students are reneging on summer stints they accepted back in the fall as recruiters barrage them with interview requests and richer offers,” says the Wall Street Journal.

A Veris Insights study last fall found that 15% of students who had accepted a 2022 internship offer in November were still actively searching for another offer.

2025 UPDATE: By 2025, this pattern has intensified. Recent data shows that 23% of interns with accepted offers are still actively evaluating alternatives through early summer. This means your company needs to make a compelling offer and deliver an exceptional experience from day one to prevent talent churn.

MAKING YOUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM STAND OUT

Pre-COVID, employers had little incentive to allocate big dollars to internship budgets. In fact, it wasn’t that long ago that unpaid internships were common. In 2019, 43% of internships at for-profit companies were unpaid, says the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Fast forward to 2025, and many HR teams are restructuring how much they’ll need to provide to interns to stay competitive.

So what’s the secret sauce to land the interns you need to help fill the talent pipeline in global mobility? The most successful programs are making dramatic pivots, from offering what may have been unpaid or low-paid gigs accepted simply for the experience and potential networking, to job offers with a wide scope of attractive benefits. Here are some ingredients to help set your internships apart from the competition.

2025 MARKET REALITY: Intern compensation has become a critical recruitment lever. The average paid internship now ranges from $18-$28 per hour (up from $15-$20 in 2023), with tech, finance, and consulting sectors pushing even higher at $25-$35+ per hour.

HOUSING SUPPORT LEVELS THE PLAYING FIELD

For mobility leaders recruiting interns for global teams, housing and relocation support are the most important benefits you can offer.

Soaring housing costs in many regions put an internship, even a paid one, out of the financial reach of many students. Students are more likely to consider an offer that includes some level of housing support. So, it should be no surprise that recent research shows housing-related support is the most commonly offered internship benefit. In a study conducted by Veris Insights, of those companies who say they offer housing support, more than half (58%) provide a lump sum (averaging $2,321 per semester) to offset housing costs, while 33.6% provide employer-rented living facilities—at no cost to the interns.

Fully supported corporate housing by far is the most popular type of housing support in today’s market. Many employers are offering co-housing in college dorms or apartments for corporate interns. Others are paying interns housing stipends to help offset regional cost-of-living variations.

2025 BEST PRACTICE: Housing support strategies have evolved to include:

• Employer-provided shared housing in co-living spaces (most popular, 58%)

• Housing stipends with flexibility ($2,500-$3,500 per semester average)

• Hybrid models combining stipends with optional corporate housing

• Temporary housing assistance for relocation during the transition period

Link opportunity: “For housing and relocation support, consider partnering with specialized mobility providers who understand intern-specific needs.”

MAKE IT EASY TO GET TO YOUR LOCATIONS

But companies aren’t stopping there. Getting an intern to your desired work location can be costly, making transportation assistance an attractive perk for many who want to work remotely. NACE found that reimbursing travel costs is the second-most common intern perk. “In terms of reimbursing travel costs, 46.6% of employers reimburse for round-trip travel, averaging $1,477 per student per semester,” NACE reports.

2025 UPDATE: Travel reimbursement has evolved beyond simple round-trip reimbursement:

• 46.6% of employers now reimburse travel (up from 42% in 2023)

• Average reimbursement increased to $1,650-$2,100 per semester

• New options emerging: visa assistance, relocation logistics coordination, and airport transportation services

Once on the ground in their new work location, interns often face the reality of daily commute costs. Though some organizations are shifting to virtual internships, many are moving back into the office solely or in a hybrid role.

The Institute of Student Employers (ISE) notes that the majority of internships and placements were delivered virtually with others using a hybrid approach. But as with other facets of the internship landscape, change is on the horizon. ISE notes that in the future, this is expected to switch so that the majority are using a hybrid approach, with around a quarter returning to mainly face-to-face work and less than 10% remaining mainly virtual.

2025 REALITY CHECK: By November 2025, the work model breakdown is:

• Hybrid (48%) – Most common, with flexible in-office/remote mix

• Face-to-face (35%) – Return-to-office internships increasing

• Virtual (17%) – Declining but still relevant for distributed teams

What that means for interns are more costs to factor into a decision to relocate. Think creatively about how your company can make transportation a non-factor. Could you offer public transportation passes or reimbursement? Loaner bikes or scooters? Provide shuttle service to serve your corporate housing sites? Or provide financial incentives for carpool drivers or rideshare?

CREATING A GOLD-STANDARD INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

No doubt, crafting an internship policy and program today requires a clear understanding of what students need and want in an internship program, balanced with the needs and goals of your organization. Here are five things that will help put your program in the “gold standard” category:

1. Fine-Tune Your Intern Policy

Don’t expect your standard new-hire policy and employee relocation package to pass the intern test. Industry studies have found that nearly 40% of companies now craft a separate policy just for their interns, factoring in the unique nuances of these temporary assignments. Start by understanding the business need.

2025 TREND: More companies (now 47%) are creating specialized intern policies that account for:

• Flexible assignment lengths (8-16 weeks vs. rigid schedules)

• Budget caps specific to intern tier levels

• Technology onboarding requirements

• Mental health and wellness support provisions

2. Budget Wisely. Be Flexible.

Controlling costs begins with estimating expenses so that you can appropriately budget for your interns’ needs. By focusing on benefits that make sense for your interns’ life stage, you can tailor a policy that saves you money while increasing intern satisfaction. But remember that exceptions happen. Establish a process to manage exception requests from your interns—ensuring they have a clear understanding of your preferences for permitting exceptions and any approval authority they may undertake.

2025 GUIDANCE: Implement tiered budgeting:

• Tier 1 (8-12 week internships): $8,000-$12,000 total benefit package

• Tier 2 (13-16 week internships): $12,000-$18,000 total benefit package

• Tier 3 (Full summer/semester): $18,000-$25,000+ total benefit package

Build in a 10-15% contingency budget for exceptions and regional variations.

3. Leverage Your Partners

Many companies just hand out money to interns who are then on their own to navigate suppliers. A smarter approach: leverage your supply chain for interns’ expenses.

Housing is often the keystone to a good intern program. Be sure you are working with a well-connected relocation management company that can source a diverse array of housing options in line with the duration of your program. This may include experienced nationwide corporate housing suppliers and extended-stay hotels which will screen all units to ensure they meet quality standards. A seasoned relocation management partner in turn can leverage temporary housing volume to secure discounted rates for you.

2025 PARTNERSHIP STRATEGY: Consider working with CapRelo or similar mobility partners who offer:

• Companion™ Technology Portal for centralized intern expense management

• CompanionFlex Benefits programs allowing interns to customize their benefits packages

• Preferred housing networks with verified quality standards

• Group negotiated rates for transportation and services

4. Take Care of Your Interns

The offer letter is signed, and the student’s start date is set. Now, it’s your job to help interns adjust and have a positively memorable experience during their program. Invest in them, as they likely may be the future of your company. Look for a relocation management expert that takes your interns’ physical safety, mental health, and emotional well-being seriously. Look for little ways to help your interns (and even interns’ parents) feel comfortable about where they’re staying, how they’ll get to and from work, and what they can do with their free time.

2025 IMPERATIVE: Implement comprehensive intern support including:

• Onboarding coordination (pre-arrival, day 1, first week)

• Mental health resources and wellness programs

• Community building activities and peer mentor networks

• Safety protocols (emergency contacts, check-ins, support hotlines)

• Family communication tools (for peace-of-mind from interns’ families)

CREATIVELY USE TECHNOLOGY

In today’s rapidly evolving market, digital mobility for interns is not just an advantage but a necessity, facilitating seamless transitions and enriching overall internship experiences. By harnessing the power of digital tools, companies can offer personalized support and streamline processes like onboarding and relocation logistics. These tech-driven approaches ensure that interns, who are often navigating economic uncertainties and new environments, have access to resources that enhance convenience and security. Leveraging digital mobility solutions helps attract and retain young talent by aligning internship programs with the lifestyle and expectations of the tech-savvy Generation Z.

Today’s interns are more technologically savvy than ever before. A good intern program will give them the right tools to settle into their accommodations and feel at ease in what may be their first extended stay outside of home or college. What are some expectations your tech-literate new employees?

2025 TECH EXPECTATIONS:

• 360-degree digital onboarding portal with checklists, documents, and FAQs

• Mobile app access to relocation support, housing details, and expense reporting

• Real-time communication with relocation coordinators via chat or video

• Digital resource library including destination guides, activity recommendations, and local contacts

• Expense management dashboard for transparent reimbursement tracking

• Virtual team building and social connection platforms

Things like a 360-online expense management and payment portal. A dashboard for all things move-related. A digital resource library of destination information, contacts, activities calendar, and HR documents. Need more ideas? Use feedback from former interns to keep your internship technology continually evolving.

CONCLUSION

Ultimately, gold-standard internship programs are built from the ground up around one thing: The Big Picture Goal. That goal is to train someone who will be able to give back and be a value to the company.

CapRelo has decades of experience helping global mobility organizations create effective and competitive internship and early-career programs. Whether your interns are relocating domestically or internationally, our customizable global mobility tech solution (Companion) combined with expert relocation management services ensures your interns have a seamless, supportive experience from offer letter to first day and beyond.

Ready to transform your internship program into a talent pipeline powerhouse? Learn how CapRelo’s mobility solutions can help you compete for top intern talent in 2025 and beyond.