The program
Our paid internship program offers students the opportunity to gain practical experience and exposure to real-world projects. Interns will have the opportunity to work alongside experienced professionals, participate in team meetings and contribute to meaningful projects that align with their field of study.
When available, the internship program coincides with the summer university break.
Opportunities are advertised via our Current jobs page.
To be eligible to apply for these opportunities you will need to:
- Be studying a relevant discipline
- Be in your penultimate or final year of university studies
- Have Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency status.
Sample disciplines
Our internship opportunities vary based on business needs. Disciplines may include:
- Network Engineering - Required qualifications in Electrical Engineering. Work across a wide range of electrical network assets including cables, poles, conductors, transformers, regulators, reclosers, switchgear, streetlights and more.
- Strategy and Architecture - Required qualifications in IT - General. As an intern, you’ll support a range of initiatives including research and analysis of emerging technologies, assisting in the development of architectural frameworks, preparing presentations and documentation for strategic reviews, uplifting architecture practices and collaborating with cross-functional teams to support solution design.
- Digital Asset Management (DAM) Technical Engineering - Required qualifications in Electrical or Aeronautical Engineering, Data Science or Asset Management. As part of the Digital Asset Management (DAM) team, you will contribute to high-impact initiatives that enhance asset intelligence and operational efficiency using Digital Twin capabilities and technologies.
- IT Commercial and Vendor - Required qualifications in Business, Commerce, Supply Chain, Finance, IT, or Procurement. This internship offers exposure to real-world procurement frameworks, contract governance, and digital transformation initiatives supporting one of Australia’s leading energy providers.
CSIRO Generation STEM
We have also previously worked in collaboration with CSIRO’s Generation STEM program to offer additional internships in:
- Data/Electrical Engineering – Required qualifications in Electrical Engineering, Mathematics/Statistics, or Data/Visualisation. In this role the intern will work with data science, data pipelines, power engineering concepts, forecasting, statistics, and machine learning. Additionally, the intern will be responsible for documenting processes and coding.
- Enterprise Asset Management Data Analyst – Required qualifications in Data. You will work with experienced specialists in the Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) team to analyse data within Essential Energy's core assets and work systems to identify data quality issues and preparing scripts to correct data in these systems.
Where are roles based?
Our internship program is based in our Corporate Office in Port Macquarie on the beautiful Mid North Coast of NSW; the perfect place to enjoy an outdoor summer lifestyle while gaining professional experience in the rapidly evolving energy industry.
As many of our interns travel for the opportunity, we typically partner with Charles Sturt University's on-campus accommodation services, so that interns have access to a convenient and affordable accommodation option throughout the program. This also allows interns to carpool, enjoy social activities on weekends, and form connections that often extend well beyond their internship period.
Our Recruitment Process
Find out more about the Internship recruitment process
Our Benefits
Read more about the benefits of working with us
Zoi’s Story
Zoi Petford, a proud Wiradjuri woman, was awarded an Essential Energy scholarship while studying a Bachelor of Communications at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst in 2022. In 2023 Zoi completed a communications internship with Essential Energy. She has now completed her university studies and joined Essential Energy and is currently in her second year of the Graduate Program.
"During my internship at Essential Energy, I was able to put what I’d been learning at uni into action - writing articles, creating content, and supporting campaigns that reached our communities. It was such valuable hands-on experience, not only applying my communications knowledge but also gaining new skills you just can’t learn in a classroom. What stood out most was how supportive everyone was. They encouraged me to grow, helped me build confidence, and made the transition from uni to the workplace feel far less daunting. That experience confirmed I was on the right career path and set me up for my journey from intern to graduate."
