Construction Management and Estimating Internships 2026

Rice Lake, a self-performing general contractor specializing in water and wastewater treatment facility construction and heavy concrete projects in the Upper Midwest, offers students majoring in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, and related disciplines full-time spring and summer internship opportunities at various jobsites or offices in Minnesota and surrounding states. An internship with Rice Lake provides paid career-related work experience and could lead to hire upon graduation.

Working as part of a Project Management, Estimating, or Production team, successful candidates will gain exposure to:

• Construction Safety Standards and OSHA Regulations
• Water and Wastewater Equipment and Processes
• Construction Means and Methods
• Collaborative Delivery Methods

Rice Lake project interns participate in:

• Spec and Plan Review
• Takeoff and Estimating Exercises
• Surveying
• Planning and Scheduling
• Submittal Review and Assembly
• Worksite Safety Audits
• Cataloging Site Photos
• Material Procurement
• Production Tracking
• Problem Solving
• Issue Resolution
• Weekly Update Meetings
• Other tasks as assigned

Learning objectives will focus around review and interpretation of blueprints and project specifications, use of total station or other surveying equipment, general understanding of means and methods applied in highway heavy construction, basic practices to calculate cost of materials or quantities needed for production, document control protocol, and overall safety principals for construction.

At the end of each internship, the student worker completes a self-assessment and the student's supervisor completes a manager assessment form. These assessments summarize the duties performed during the work period and provide the student worker feedback regarding quantity and quality of work performed, work ethic, knowledge and competency, teachability, communication, attitude and self-control, organization, adaptability, initiative, and reliability while on the job. Through an exit interview, the student worker has an opportunity to discuss the content and comments included in the forms. Additionally, full-time opportunities upon graduation are discussed and a career path is mapped out to facilitate the attainment of career path goals.

Company Culture at Rice Lake is professional and performance driven. We value and appreciate our employees. Everything we do is influenced by our core values of Safety, Integrity, Quality & Value, Learning, Relationships, Employees, and Loyalty.

As an employee, you can expect:

• Support from a company with over 30 years in business.
• Mentorship.
• A harmonious atmosphere with people who like to work and solve problems. The right people attract even better people!
• Competitive pay and paid housing when working more than a reasonable commute distance away from home.
• Balanced work schedule.