The U.S. Department of Transportation announced the expansion of an internship program designed to encourage young women to pursue careers in transportation. The expanded program, based on a pilot with Spelman College, is part of a broader effort by DOT to create a pipeline of younger women coming into the transportation work force.
“Women are an essential part of today’s labor force, yet women are underrepresented in the transportation industry,” U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says. “We’re saying to all the college women out there – no matter where you’re enrolled, there’s a DOT Small Business Transportation Resource Center close by to help you plug into your dream job, whether it’s an airport, an engineering or aerospace firm, a railroad, a transit agency or perhaps one of our DOT offices.”
The internship program will expand from one to 10 regions of the country, enabling young women from colleges and universities across the country to participate. It will be administered through DOT’s 11 Small Business Transportation Resource Centers. These centers, spread throughout the nation, provide resources, technical assistance and outreach to all 50 states and U.S. territories. Each Center will be responsible for placing qualified female college students in transportation related internships in their regions.
