Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP)
Through this program, the WFLHD hires college students to fill short term staffing needs in highway construction, plan design and development, surveying, or materials testing. Students typically work during the summer months, the peak of the construction season in the Northwestern states. This program is the primary mechanism for recruitment in to entry-level positions within the WFLHD Project Delivery Branch. Through this program, the students gain highway engineering and construction experience to complement their academic study. The position provides an excellent opportunity for on-the-job experience, preparing the student for future consideration for employment with the Federal Highway Administration and transportation industry.
Students are assigned to highway construction or survey projects throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, or Wyoming. Alternatively, students may be assigned to a design engineering or materials testing assignment at the WFLHD office in Vancouver, Washington. Students must be available for assignment in any of these six western states as mobility is a condition of employment. Typical duties for a STEP on these assignments are as follows:
- Construction: The construction assignment may include inspection of the contractor’s grading, placement of surfacing materials such as asphalt pavements, drainage installation, bridge construction, survey staking, and assisting with field office documentation such as verifying design information and checking field data.
- Survey: On a survey assignment, the student will assist a WFLHD survey crew with preliminary surveying and/or staking for a future roadway or bridge construction project. The student will use modern survey equipment to locate, stake, and verify roadway features and topography for use in the development of roadway reconstruction plans.
- Highway Design: Typical duties for a highway design assignment include assisting highway engineers in the development of roadway construction plans, contract specifications, and cost estimates. The STEP normally receives a degree of CADD training and experience using the Bentley Microstation CADD platform.
- Materials: A materials assignment requires the student to assist technicians with the testing of various highway construction materials such as concrete, soils, asphalt, and roadway aggregates. The STEP will gain experience in the various testing procedures and equipment used in the heavy construction industry.
View the Student Temporary Employment Program Flyer (Acrobat, 1.31 MB)