Student Employment
WFL will be accepting applications for the 2010 construction season in December 2009.
Organizational Overview
Federal Lands Highway (FLH)
Nearly one-third of the land area of the United States is Federally-owned and administered. The Federal Government has a special interest in and responsibility for highways on/or serving these Federal Lands. Congress has established various programs to fund the construction of highways on Federal lands and has authorized the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to perform engineering and related services in connection with their improvement. The FHWA administers the Federal Lands Highway Program, including survey, design and construction of forest highway system roads, parkways and park roads, refuge roads, Indian reservation roads, defense access roads, and other Federal lands roads.
Western Federal Lands Highway Division (WFL)
Based in Vancouver, Washington, WFL is one of three field Division offices responsible for the Federal Lands Highway Program. WFL provides our partners with transportation program administration and engineering services for planning, environmental compliance, design, contract administration, construction, and rehabilitation of highway and bridges on or providing access to federally-owned lands in the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, and two National Parks located in Wyoming.
WFL Project Delivery
The core business of Project Delivery is to design and oversee construction of highways and highway improvements on Federal lands in a multi-state area. The Project Development Branch employs approximately 45 full-time employees engaged in highway design engineering and environmental compliance. The Construction Branch employs a staff of approximately 50 fi eld employees engaged in highway construction engineering. The program impacts the traveling public by providing safe and scenic means of surface transportation in and adjacent to National Forests and National Parks. Projects are carried out region-wide, but in many cases, are of wider importance because they involve nationally traveled U.S. Forest highways and National Park roads, and other treasured national resource areas.
Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP)
Through this program, WFL hires college students to fill short term staffing needs in highway construction. Students typically work during the summer months, the peak of construction season in the Pacific Northwest. This program is the primary mechanism for recruitment into entry-level positions within the WFL Project Delivery Branch. Through this program, the students gain highway construction experience that complements academic study, provides an excellent opportunity for on-the-job experience, and prepares the student for future consideration for employment within the Federal Highway Administration and the transportation industry.
Students are assigned to highway construction projects throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, and Wyoming. Students must be available for assignment in any of the six states as mobility is a condition of employment. Typical assignments may include inspection of contractor's grading, placement of surfacing or paving materials, drainage installation, monitoring testing of highway materials and soils; or assisting with field office work, such as making computations in connection with plotting field notes, cross sections and profile data, computing areas, and checking field calculations.
View the Student Temporary Employment Program Flyer (Acrobat, 545 KB)
Federal Career Intern Program
The FCIP is an internship program designed to recruit exceptionally qualified individuals for Professional Engineer and Construction Management positions. Through this program, WFL hires recent graduates to fill entry level construction positions and provides extensive training during the 2 year program. Interns are hired at grades 5, 7 or 9 depending on education and experience.
Interns are assigned to highway construction projects throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, and Wyoming. Students must be available for assignments in any of the six states as mobility is a condition of employment. Typical assignments may include inspection of contractor's grading, placement of surfacing or paving materials, drainage installation, monitoring testing of highway materials and soils; or assisting with field office work, such as making computations in connection with plotting field notes, cross sections and profile data, computing areas, and checking field calculations. At the GS 7 and 9 levels, the intern may be assigned as the assistant project engineer.
Interns typically work on highway construction projects during the peak construction season and return to Vancouver during the winter months. During that time, interns participate in additional training, are assigned to a winter assignment, and attend the annual WFL Winter Conference.
At the completion of the two-year program, interns may be noncompetitively converted to a career conditional appointment.
View the Federal Career Intern Program Flyer (Acrobat, 102 KB)
Federal Benefits
After Graduation, Consider a Career with the Federal Highway Administration
Student FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions (Acrobat, 41 KB)
Recruiting Schedule
Each Fall, our Recruiting Team visits regional colleges to present the STEP/SCEP program, distribute application packets, and interview prospective candidates. Check out the College Recruiting Schedule to see when a recruiter will be in your area. This schedule will be updated as dates are set.
If your college is not on our schedule, you may still submit your application package directly to us by December 15th for assignments the following year. See the instructions under "How to Apply."
How to Apply
Review Recruitment Notice Student Temporary Employment Program (Acrobat, 26 KB) and follow the instructions completely. You may use either an OF-612 or a resume. If you choose to use a resume, be sure it contains all information required in the OF-612. Print, sign, and mail the complete application package to:
Lynn Murphy
Federal Highway Administration
610 East Fifth Street
Vancouver, WA 98661-3801
To request a copy of the STEP brochure, send an email to wfl_careers@dot.gov or call (360) 619-7700.
Application Package Checklist (Acrobat, 40 KB)
Required Forms
- OF 306 (Acrobat, 92 KB) - Declaration for Federal Employment
- OF 612 (Acrobat, 130 KB) - Optional Application for Federal Employment
- OF 612A (Acrobat, 198 KB) - Optional OF 612 Continuation Page
- Student Agreement Form (Acrobat, 28 KB)
Additional information required to process application package:
- Letter of Good Standing (may be generated from kiosk, registrar's office or the Dean of Engineering)
- Current Transcripts (does not have to be an official copy)
-
Copy of DD 214 if claiming veteran's preference
* You'll need to provide the following if claiming 10-point veteran preference:- Application For 10-point Veteran Preference Form
- Current letter from Department of Veterans Affairs certifying existence of the service-connected disability and percent of your disability
