Fayette County Public Works Program Puts Students on the Road to Government Careers

FAYETTE COUNTY, GA – Firsthand experience is one of the best ways to teach the next generation how government works. Fayette County Public Works continued its effort to expose young people to government careers through its summer internship program.

“Our internship program is about building life experiences, understanding career paths, and learning what it’s like to work for local government,” said Bradley Klinger, assistant director. “It gives interns exposure to what we do and how government operates. It’s also about creating opportunities for growth. They cross-train with other departments and get exposure to areas they’re interested in.”

The Road Department welcomed both high school and college students for the internship.

“Working alongside adults as a teenager was a beneficial part of my internship,” said Zion Listenbee, a junior at Whitewater High School. “It helped me grow and gave me awareness of the realities of everyday work at Fayette County.”

“I participated in the equipment operator internship,” Listenbee said. “The first thing I learned was safety. While learning to operate different machinery, I was able to move scrap metal behind the Road Department. I learned to identify different utility lines when working on projects in various county neighborhoods. The internship required a lot of teamwork, which I enjoyed. There was a lot of work, but being part of a team made the experience fun.”

Victoria Johnson, a sophomore at Southern Crescent Technical College, said she developed different skills.

“Something I’ve learned is to write everything down,” she said. “I used to say I’d remember it, then I’d walk off and forget. Keeping my notepad and taking notes has really helped. I’ve also learned to say yes to every opportunity, even if I’m unsure I’ll enjoy it. Since I wanted to do more planning work, I was able to attend Planning Commission meetings and see AutoCAD and the process behind it. Asking for help and taking notes has been important.”

“One thing I really appreciate is that you’re not just interning for the Road Department,” Johnson said. “They don’t keep you locked in one place. They let you explore the county, attend Planning Commission meetings, and interact with people. You’re not confined, and you can network as much as you want, as long as you get out of the office and learn from others.”

Trang Doan, a sophomore at Georgia Tech, enjoyed working with software.

“During this internship, I had the opportunity to work on the website,” she said. “I learned about all the crews and what they do around the county. I mainly focused on the paving crew, working on projects such as HA5 and pilot projects involving spraying the road and applying salt. I also spent time with the detail crew. We’re currently moving from the old software, PubWorks, to VUEWorks, and getting to work with the new system was really exciting. These programs help us manage assets and inventory.”

“There are a lot of departments that make up Public Works,” Doan said. “It was fun having the opportunity to work with other departments and get outside more often. I got to see different parts of civil engineering and transportation.”

“We’re seeing that millennial and younger generations haven’t been encouraged toward blue-collar work,” Klinger said. “Everyone is pushed toward college to become engineers, but someone still needs to pave roads and remove fallen trees.

“Skilled operators are not as plentiful as they were 15 to 20 years ago, so demand is high, and we’re working to fill those gaps. AI isn’t replacing blue-collar work anytime soon, so there’s a window to promote these jobs. They’re needed, and they pay better than before.”

For more information and opportunities to work with Fayette County, visit our website: fayettecountyga.gov/careers