Summer Jobs for Texas Students - Wentworth article

A sluggish economy and rising college tuition make finding a summer job both difficult and crucial for high school and college-age Texans.

With only a few more weeks of school left, it is time to start searching for a summer job.  One place to look is the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) annual summer employment program.

TxDOT  has summer jobs available for maintenance, engineering and technical positions that will give high school and college students valuable, on-the-job training.  Students in the program work with experienced professionals in the field of transportation who will help them learn about the latest industry techniques.  In addition to valuable work experience, the program provides students with salaried positions that may help supplement educational expenses.

This year, TxDOT hopes to hire about 400 new and returning students.   Summer positions are available May 1 through August 1.  To qualify for the program, students must be at least 17 years old and eligible to work in the United States.

Students also must be enrolled as a full-time high school, technical school, college or university student during the spring semester before the summer work period or be accepted currently for enrollment at an institution of higher learning.

TxDOT began its summer employment program in the 1950s.  Since the program’s inception, nearly 49,000 students have spent their summers working for TxDOT.  Currently, 1,907 former summer recruits are employed by TxDOT.  Students receive training that helps them establish career credentials and allows them to respond positively to the age-old job application question, “Do you have any work experience?”

For more information about TxDOT’s summer job positions, log on to the department’s Web site: www.txdot.gov, and click on “TxDOT Begins Summer Hire Recruitment.”  Follow the prompts to “Summer Employment,” where you will find links to an application form and to Human Resources’ phone numbers.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) in partnership with Texas State University-San Marcos provides current college students with the opportunity to work in the environmental field.  Information about the TCEQ internship program is available on the Web at:  www.tceq.state.tx.us.  Click on “Jobs,” and scroll down to “Internship Programs.”

Other state agencies that sometimes hire summer interns include the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Department of Agriculture.  Information may be found on their Web sites: www.tpwd.state.tx.us and www.agr.state.tx.us, respectively.

I encourage students to participate in state agencies’ summer intern programs.  You will gain valuable experience, and some agencies, such as TxDOT, also pay a salary.