AASHTO Journal - Illinois DOT Helps State Expand ‘Intern to Hire’ Program

The Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) is expanding its successful ‘Intern to Hire’ program by joining forces with the Illinois Department of Transportation to include engineering roles.

[Above photo by Illinois DOT]

This initiative provides a clear pathway for aspiring civil engineers to launch and sustain long-term public service careers statewide, noted Raven DeVaughn, director of CMS.

“We are investing in the future of the state’s workforce, with a focus on engineers,” DeVaughn noted in a statement. “This program is not only creating career opportunities for emerging professionals but also helping us reform and modernize how we recruit and retain top talent. We’re thrilled to partner with Illinois DOT to bring this vision to life.”

This expanded program comes amid a nationwide shortage of engineering professionals and a historic period of unprecedented infrastructure investment in Illinois, CMS said.

To counteract that trend, the “Intern to Hire” program offers structured, paid internships leading to full-time state employment – providing hands-on experience and professional development to meet critical workforce needs. Interns also earn unbroken service time toward state-employee benefits, gaining a valuable start to a stable career.

“We’re excited for young people to take advantage of this innovative program to help them move from college internship to full-time employment at Illinois DOT,” noted Gia Biagi, Illinois DOT secretary. “This will make it possible for interns we’ve trained and who have become part of our team to stay and build their career at Illinois DOT.”

To qualify, students must have an anticipated graduation date with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from an Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology-accredited university or college and complete an internship of at least six months but no more than 60 months at Illinois DOT.

According to the American Council of Engineering Companies, 82,000 engineers and other professionals are needed across the transportation industry and beyond to help build and maintain the country’s infrastructure.

“We have been very successful with previous engineering co-op programs at Illinois DOT [and] the new ‘Intern to Hire’ program takes this idea to the next level,” said Lora Rensing, Illinois DOT’s chief engineer and director of the Office of Highways. “We look forward to mentoring talented engineering students and giving them a path to become the future generation of transportation professionals and leaders at Illinois DOT.”