With a shortage of civil engineers looming in Washington state and beyond, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is helping a new generation see the potential of civil engineering by offering internships to high school and college students. In late June, a second round of internships ended successfully, with constructive outcomes and positive comments from both students and WSDOT staff mentors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In late June the interns gathered at WSDOT\u2019s Northwest Region offices in Shoreline to present summaries of their three-month experiences to mentors and guests. Five sophomores and juniors, four from the University of Washington and one from Tacoma Community College, participated in the paid internships, which were funded by the Washington State Legislature and administered by TRAC <\/a>and the PacTrans Workforce Development Institute<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The infrastructure-focused internships involved work in the WSDOT departments of Capital Construction and Infrastructure, Digital Delivery, Fish Passage Delivery, Hydraulics, and Complete Streets. Students gained valuable experience in the engineering infrastructure workforce, added to their resume, and engaged with mentors who offered guidance, training, and support throughout the experience. The internships also supported students\u2019 understanding of the diverse careers in engineering infrastructure and exposed them to the many benefits offered through those careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The students\u2019 experiences were varied. They included helping to improve agency documentation and technical workflows, reviewing evaluations of culvert and stream design and restoration to improve fish passage, helping with stream assessment in the field to prepare for fish passage design, conducting Complete Streets database entry and review, and using ArcGIS to conduct analysis of pavement overlays that would be required with removal of four lower Snake River dams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The interns shared many positive comments about their experiences. Common themes included learning about professional teamwork, collaboration, and communication. Students appreciated the opportunity to work with professionals from multiple disciplines and exposure to a variety of the real-world opportunities offered through civil engineering. One student said that her time as an intern \u201csolidified my desire to pursue a career in civil engineering\u201d and \u201chas inspired me with the ways I can apply my knowledge to both engineering and environmental fields.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n WSDOT staff mentors expressed appreciation for the help they received from the interns. They also enjoyed the opportunity to showcase infrastructure engineering opportunities and WSDOT to a new generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n