Hartford adds seven interns including Harvard and UConn graduates for city programs

The City of Hartford held its FY2026 Budget Hearing on May 1, 2025, focusing on various initiatives and updates related to the city’s operations and internship programs. The meeting highlighted the city’s commitment to enhancing its workforce through internships, particularly through the Hartford Promise program.

During the session, it was announced that the city would welcome four additional interns as part of the Hartford Promise initiative this summer. This follows the positive experience of last year's interns, with one considering a return to the city. Furthermore, the city is set to onboard a Harvard graduate intern next week, along with two graduates from the University of Connecticut in the coming weeks. These efforts are part of a broader strategy to create a robust internship platform within Hartford, although the current internship programs are not yet centralized across departments.

In addition to the internship updates, the meeting addressed the introduction of a new position within the city’s organizational structure: a deputy chief operating officer. This role is intended to enhance operational efficiency and is currently vacant as the city prepares for the upcoming fiscal year.

Overall, the budget hearing underscored Hartford's focus on workforce development and organizational improvement as it moves forward into FY2026. The city council plans to continue discussions on these initiatives and their implications for the community in future meetings.