M Focus on: Public Works
Moline, Ill., is taking steps to broaden local students’ future career options by introducing them to jobs in public works. Pictured is an aerial view of Moline and other Quad Cities: Rock Island, Ill.; Davenport, Iowa; and Bettendorf, Iowa. (Shutterstock.com)
Moline, Ill., partners with local school district to introduce students to public works By LAUREN CAGGIANO | The Municipal
An innovative internship program is working to address gaps in the city of Moline, Ill.’s, public works workforce, and it could serve as a model for other cities looking to address similar issues. Students will soon get real-world experience through paid positions via a partnership with the Moline-Coal Valley School District and the Moline Public Works Department. According to Moline’s Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati, the initiative came out of a need to expose young people to career tracks outside of the traditional college-bound trajectory. “The goals are to introduce high school students to potential careers in public works and to potentially grow our applicant pool for city positions,” she said. “When I spoke with staff in the 30 THE MUNICIPAL | JULY 2022
summer of 2021 and asked what they thought could help recruitment strategies, they told me that many times people don’t even know you can have a career in wastewater treatment or other parts of city services. We wanted to fill the gap between what jobs are out there and the residents or workers who could fill those jobs.” Speaking of jobs, Rayapati said from the initial pool of applicants, the city has offered three students a six-week internship for the summer. This will serve as a pilot and help the city refine the program as it progresses for future cohorts. In her words, “We
