CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state Division of Highways is working with the state Division of Personnel to open up some DOH jobs to high school graduates.
Department of Transportation Human Resources Acting Director John McBrayer said right now the DOH cannot hire someone right out of high school. He said that needs to change with some entry-level positions.
“All of our jobs call for two years of experience or a degree of some type,” McBrayer said. “They’re (Division of Personnel) looking at a way to allow us to hire high school graduates, using their diploma as a credit to get on the register. They are going to allow us to alter some of our lower classifications that we can bring them in with no experience and just be a high school graduate.”
The DOH has a growing number of openings and the change would open up more possibilities to fill those jobs.
State Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox said the DOH is also always looking for good civil engineers. Mattox believes an emphasis on those hirings in recent years is beginning to pay off.
“It’s an issue we’ve had to deal with for a number of years but we’re making really good progress,” Mattox said.
The openings are coming rapidly with the older engineers retiring.
“We have a lot of seasoned engineers who are nearing retirement age. So there is a lot of opportunity for upward mobility for engineers who want to get into management and leadership positions in an agency as big as the Division of Highways,” Mattox said.