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WORK EXPERIENCE COMPONENT: INTERNSHIP Description of the component. Provide a summary of the activities and services. This component offers participants hands-on, experiential learning opportunities across multiple industries such as agriculture, culinary arts, skilled trades, sanitation, and grocery services. Training is provided through internships and structured programs that blend classroom instruction with practical, real-world tasks. Activities are designed to build technical skills, workplace readiness, and industry-recognized certifications. Participants engage in small-group and individual instruction, team-based projects, and work simulation exercises to reinforce professional development. The component supports both youth and adults and emphasizes career exploration, soft skills, and job preparation, with a focus on progressing toward unsubsidized employment. Case management staff offer wraparound support and reinforce training goals throughout participation. All Internship providers must: • Accept only SNAP E&T participants referred by the State agency. • Offer structured, supervised work-based learning aligned with industry standards and participant employment goals. • Ensure internships are time-limited and designed to build technical skills, workplace readiness, and career exploration, not to displace regular employees. • Provide clear learning objectives, training plans, and supervision for each participant. • Track attendance, hours worked, and progress, and submit monthly reports to the State agency. • Limit participation to a maximum of 6 months per participant, unless otherwise approved by the State agency based on training requirements. • Inform participants of supportive services available to facilitate participation. • Comply with all federal and state labor laws, nondiscrimination rules, SNAP E&T, and reporting requirements. • Direct Service Expectation: Contracted providers or their approved subcontractors are expected to do the work themselves and directly deliver the majority of services. Providers acting only as pass-throughs are not consistent with the intent of SNAP E&T, unless otherwise approved by the State Agency in the provider’s work plan and/or contract. Level of Effort Internships are expected to average 20–40 hours per week, depending on provider capacity and participant need. Participation is capped at a maximum of 6 months, with extensions considered only if justified by credentialing or industry training requirements approved by the State agency. Is this component subsidized by SNAP E&T? Subsidized Unsubsidized Both subsidized and unsubsidized 1/29/26, 9:31 AM State Plan OK FY26 - Original Submission https://dam-fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/microsite/snapet-okfy26stateplan//index.html 79/156