For decades, businesses and post-secondary educational institutions have complained that students are leaving high school unprepared for their next step. In addition to elevating the rigor and relevance of the school experience, high school internships have been seen by many as a key method to preparing young people for success and allowing employers an opportunity to shape the future of their workforce. Advocacy for high-quality paid internships for high school students has increased in recent years as employers try different methods to close the skills gap, seeking a more diverse and prepared talent pipeline. To solve this problem, large corporations have partnered with NAF (formerly known as the National Academy Foundation), a non-profit educational organization that impacts over 100,000 students each year across thirty-six states with its educational design, to increase the number of high school internships offered through NAF's new Future Ready Lab internship program. To ensure the actualization of intended learning outcomes of the internship experience, this study used qualitative and quantitative data from internship assessment results and a student survey to determine if the structure of the internship (group-based/Future Ready Lab or individual-based/traditional) impacted how students perceived their experience and development, and how their supervisors perceived their growth. Fifty-six students from NAF academies in two states participated in this study in which it was found that both programs meet the expectations and anticipated benefits of quality work-based learning experiences. While employers rated traditional interns higher on the internship assessment in two categories, critical thinking and information management, at the statistically significant level, both groups had ratings that indicated achievement of the skills assessed. Traditional interns were also found to be significantly more likely to stay in contact with their internship provider after the internship than the Future Ready Lab interns. Most of the anticipated benefits identified in this study, however, did not indicate a statistically significant difference between the two groups, and additional results reveal that the interns in both groups perceive the internship as a beneficial experience. As the research currently available for high school internships is minimal, this study provides insight into a small sample of student experiences to contribute to this field of research. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]