Life Enrichment Committee
October 27, 2026
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Elizabeth Lake FROM: Damon Covington
Interim City Administrator Fire Chief
SUBJECT: Internship Program MOU with
Oakland Unified School District
DATE: September 30, 2026
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To Enter Into A Memorandum Of Understanding Between The City of Oakland And The Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) To Establish The Work Training Partner Program, Enabling Workplace Learning Experiences For OUSD Students (Interns) At Designated Worksite Locations During The Applicable Summer Program Period, For A Term Of Three (3) Years From The Date Of Execution, And With An Option To Extend For One Additional Year.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) seeks authorization to enter a Memorandum of Understanding with Work Training Partners and their Affiliate Organizations to operate the OUSD Work Training Partner Program. The Agreement establishes the framework under which OUSD students (Interns) may be placed at partner worksite locations to gain workforce readiness training, professional experience, and orientation activities. The program runs each applicable summer and carries no cost to the District, though the District retains sole discretion to provide Intern stipends. The Agreement has a three-year term from the date of execution and may be extended up to one additional year by amendment in accordance with California Education Code 17596.
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
OUSD has provided direct workforce development services for Oakland children, youth, and their families for decades. Across its 16 high schools, over 90% of students ages 15–20 participate in career pathways that integrate career and technical education (CTE), academic guidance, work-based learning, and wraparound supportive services. Since the mid-1980s, OUSD staff have prepared students to engage in classroom-embedded pre-employment activities including career roundtables, mock interviews, resume development, financial literacy Elizabeth Lake (Oct 9, 2026 09:30:29 PDT)
Oct 9, 2026
Elizabeth (Betsy) Lake, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Internship MOU with Oakland Unified School District Date: September 30, 2026 Page 2
Life Enrichment Committee
October 27, 2026
workshops, and college and career visits; The foundational skills required for successful paid internship placements. The Exploring College Career Community Options (ECCCO) Summer Internship Program, launched in 2010, is the anchor program under this framework. ECCCO leverages Oakland Fund for Children and Youth (OFCY) funding to provide stipends while students practice academic, pre-employment, life, and financial literacy skills in real workplace settings.
Since its launch, ECCCO has grown from serving 150 students annually to more than 500 per year, with nearly 6,000 total program participants to date. The program has contributed directly to increasing OUSD’s graduation rate from 61% to 74% since 2019. The program has expanded significantly over time. In 2017, OUSD added a skilled trades pre-employment track that grew from 11 students to 30–35 annually, creating a direct pipeline into adult preapprenticeship and employment opportunities. In 2019, ECCCO expanded to include stipend, college-level CTE courses through the Peralta Community College District (Peralta Institute), serving 50–100 additional students per year. In 2022, Oakland Highway to Work (OHTW) was founded to serve 10–30 students per cohort across three healthcare pathways. Beginning in summer 2026, the Credit Academic Recovery (CAR) Internship Program will launch, enabling students to recover academic credit while simultaneously completing a work placement.
The Work Training Partner Program formalizes the relationship between OUSD and the external organizations including City of Oakland departments that host Interns at designated Worksite Locations. This Memorandum of Understanding serves as the governing framework for those relationships, supplemented by the OUSD Work Training Commitment for each specific partner engagement. The Agreement complies with all applicable state and federal requirements, including California Education Code section 49110, Title 5 section 10121, FERPA, and California Labor Code section 6401.7. OUSD is uniquely positioned to administer this program through qualified staff who maintain strong year-round relationships with students and families and provide referrals for mental health, housing insecurity, substance abuse, and legal services.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
The City of Oakland has a vested interest in cultivating a skilled, career-ready workforce drawn from its own communities. By partnering with OUSD through the Work Training Partner Program, Oakland-based employers and organizations gain direct access to a pipeline of motivated local youth, creating meaningful opportunities to develop talent that will strengthen Oakland’s economic foundation for years to come. Work Training Partners benefit from structured, low-barrier engagement with student interns, while contributing to the City’s broader goals of reducing youth unemployment, expanding career pathways in underserved neighborhoods, and building civic and professional capacity among Oakland’s next generation of workers.
The standardized MOU framework enables the City to scale these partnerships efficiently and consistently, ensuring that The City of Oakland Work Training Partners who participate do so within a clear, equitable structure that supports both the intern’s development and the partner organization’s operational needs. Alternatives such as ad hoc, unstructured internship Elizabeth (Betsy) Lake, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Internship MOU with Oakland Unified School District Date: September 30, 2026 Page 3
Life Enrichment Committee
October 27, 2026
engagements or individually negotiated agreements would fragment program delivery, reduce accountability, and limit the City’s ability to track and demonstrate community impact. A standardized, citywide approach maximizes the return on Oakland’s investment in youth workforce development and positions the City as a regional leader in public-private collaboration for economic mobility.
Failure to adopt this legislation will prevent students in Oakland schools from gaining valuable experience and exposure to the workforce, and potentially delaying importance steps in their professional development.
RELATED PLANNING EFFORTS
This item does not relate to any Oakland strategic planning efforts.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Work Training Partner Program is offered at no cost to the City of Oakland Work Training Partners participate without compensation from OUSD. However, the District retains sole discretion to provide stipends to Interns, with the dollar amounts determined at the District's discretion.
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
No outreach was deemed necessary from the proposed policy action beyond the standard City Council agenda notice because it is a routine item.
COORDINATION
Development of this report was coordinated with internal staff in the Oakland Fire Department, City Attorney’s Office, and City Administrator’s Office.
RACE AND EQUITY
The program directly serves OUSD students, a student population that includes a significant proportion of youth of color and students from historically underserved communities. By providing access to Workplace Learning Experiences and workforce readiness training, the program advances race and social equity goals by reducing barriers to professional development and career pathways.
Elizabeth (Betsy) Lake, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Internship MOU with Oakland Unified School District Date: September 30, 2026 Page 4
Life Enrichment Committee
October 27, 2026
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To Enter Into A Memorandum Of Understanding Between The City of Oakland And The Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) To Establish The Work Training Partner Program, Enabling Workplace Learning Experiences For OUSD Students (Interns) At Designated Worksite Locations During The Applicable Summer Program Period, For A Term Of Three (3) Years From The Date Of Execution, And With An Option To Extend For One Additional Year.
For questions regarding this report, please contact Michael Hunt, Oakland Fire Department, by email at [email protected].
Respectfully submitted,
Damon Covington
Fire Chief
Prepared by Charles Lightfoot, Engineer,
Oakland Fire Department