Three students from the Carroll County Career and Technology Center will be among the first in Maryland to take part in a new state program that places high school tech students in paid internships with the agency that builds and maintains state buildings, Gov. Wes Moore’s office announced Thursday.
Moore and the Maryland Department of General Services announced the pilot program in an Oct. 29 news release. The Department of General Services, or DGS, describes its role as supporting state and local government agencies with design and construction, facilities operations, procurement, real estate and other services.
According to the governor’s announcement, the program will start with six students: three from the Carroll County Career and Technology Center and three from Carver Vocational-Technical High School in Baltimore City. The state says it plans to adapt and expand the program over the next few years.
The Career and Technology Center, on Washington Road in Westminster, provides career and technical education for students from all eight Carroll County public high schools, according to its website.
What the internships involve
According to the governor’s release, the students will be paired with staff in two DGS divisions: the Office of Facilities Management and the Office of Design, Construction and Energy. DGS says the latter supervises and coordinates the design and construction of state building projects.
The state says interns will get hands-on experience in areas such as project management, design, HVAC maintenance and capital planning, the long-range scheduling and budgeting of construction projects. The work will take place at sites in Carroll County and the Baltimore region.
Each student will work daily with a mentor, according to the announcement, and will also get exposure to construction management, bidding processes and engineering support work. Students will receive help with resumes and networking, and will be asked to serve as ambassadors for the program.
The students and their mentors are expected to give feedback to DGS so the program can change as it grows. The governor’s office said the students met with DGS representatives and their teachers in recent weeks to learn about the program, apply and be matched with mentors.
What officials said
“This collaborative partnership will provide CCCTC students with valuable hands-on, real-world experiences and opportunities to build meaningful professional connections with DGS and the state of Maryland, which will lead to helping them launch successful careers,” Career and Technology Center Principal Lois Tiffany said in a statement included in both the governor’s release and a Carroll County Public Schools news release Oct. 30.
“We are excited and grateful for this opportunity to strengthen these connections and expand opportunities for our students,” Tiffany said.
In the state’s announcement, Moore said the program introduces young people to career skills while they work on state infrastructure projects. DGS Secretary Atif Chaudhry said the state’s infrastructure spending requires a workforce ready to carry out the work, and that the program is meant to let students move directly into the trades.
The governor’s office described the pilot as part of the administration’s broader workforce investments, including the state’s EARN Maryland training grant program.