Do the teens in your life have some extra time over the winter holidays to think about summer internships? If so, let them know that the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) is offering high school students
BY BC STAFF
Published: January, 2019
Do the teens in your life have some extra time over the winter holidays to think about summer internships? If so, let them know that the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) is offering high school students around the Bay Area the opportunity to gain professional experience in transportation planning, engineering and related fields through its 2019 High School Internship Program.
The internship program, now celebrating its 19th year, is now accepting applications for paid summer jobs with a variety of public transit agencies, city planning departments and public works agencies throughout the region. Internships are available in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma counties.
Eligible students will be at least 16 years old and completing the 10th, 11th, or 12th grade by summer 2019. They will earn $15 per hour, with their wages paid by MTC, and can choose to work either full- or part-time, up to 250 hours. Students hired through the program are expected to attend an orientation session on June 18, 2019, as well as a closing forum in August, where they will present highlights of their work over the summer. Both events will take place at MTC’s offices at 375 Beale Street in San Francisco.
Students will work closely with mentors at host agencies to create rich summer experiences that foster connections for college recommendation letters and future job opportunities. Jonathan, a 2018 MTC high school intern, wrote of his experience: “I really enjoyed the internship and learned so much. I had so much fun meeting all the interns and especially bonding with my team. The presentations were very interesting, and it was awesome to learn what my fellow interns did at their offices. My mentor was great, and he made me feel at ease immediately, shared his work experience with me, and gave me great advice and tips on what to do in college.”
“The high school intern experience was truly valuable from the mentor’s perspective” as well, noted Will Pilkington, branch chief of North Bay surveys at Caltrans District 4, who mentored an MTC intern in 2018. “It provided a youthful perspective of our current transportation landscape,” he wrote, “and I was most impressed by the ease with which the intern was able to comprehend and assimilate the technical software and equipment we use. I have hope for our future professionals!”
To view all open internship positions and read the full application details, visit jobs.mtc.ca.gov/internships.
