DCAS Announces Major Expansion of Automotive Internship Program

November 13, 2024

This year, the Automotive Internship Program has expanded to include spring and summer, making the program year-round for New York City youth.

NEW YORK - Today, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) announced a major expansion of the automotive fleet internship program for high school students. Initially expanded to include a spring cohort in 2023, the program will now offer city high school students the opportunity for hands-on automotive training all year round, bridging a vital gap in automotive education. The internship is also a critical component of a direct pipeline from automotive high schools to City employment: the City has a civil service exam for entry-level automotive repair titles that have a two-year experience requirement that can be satisfied with a degree from one of the City's automotive high schools, which allows for a direct pathway to civil service.

"It is our mission to strengthen the workforce and help the youth gain skills for their future careers; with this expansion to our automotive internship program, we're accomplishing both of these important goals," said DCAS Commissioner Louis A. Molina. "The program will equip students with the knowledge and hands-on experience to work in the automotive industry and pave the way for them for City employment, and I'm thrilled to welcome this latest cohort to City service."

"For well over a decade, DCAS has partnered with NYC Public Schools to offer hands-on automotive internships at City repair garages at agencies including NYPD, DSNY, FDNY, DOT, and Parks," states Keith Kerman, Deputy Commissioner at DCAS and NYC's Chief Fleet Officer. "Nearly 500 students have participated. Previously a summer program, for the first time we are now hosting interns year-round with our new spring and fall programs. High school students are getting their first work experience, learning about fleet safety and sustainability, and are on a path to City employment in these critical technical roles. Thanks to all our partner agencies."

Last week, on November 4, the agency welcomed its latest cohort to the automotive internship, with 14 students from across the city participating. Since 2015, DCAS has managed the fleet internship at fleet repair garages, and to date, nearly 500 New York City youth have participated in the program. Through the DCAS automotive internship, students gain invaluable skills and paid internship experience by performing maintenance and repairs on city vehicles from NYPD, DSNY, FDNY, DOT, and NYC Parks in garages.

This month, DCAS, in partnership with the Department of Transportation (DOT), also launched a new school year for the Truck Safety Experience program. The DOT Truck Experience Program is an effort that started in Fall 2021 to provide elementary school students with vital knowledge on how to safely interact with trucks in their neighborhood. DCAS has supported the program by working with City agencies and MTA to provide two trucks/buses to visit a different elementary school each week. DCAS's own renewable diesel fuel truck has been at many of these sessions.

The Fleet Internship program builds on the Adams Administration's efforts to expand municipal work to more New Yorkers than ever before. In April, Mayor Adams launched "Run This Town," a $1 million multi-media advertising campaign to engage diverse New Yorkers and help them apply for thousands of available city government jobs. The "Run This Town" campaign was preceded by the launch of "Jobs NYC," a multi-pronged citywide effort to reduce barriers to economic opportunities and deliver workforce development services directly to communities across the five boroughs that are experiencing high unemployment. In September 2024, the administration announced that as part of Jobs NYC, 8,500 New Yorkers had been connected to jobs and free training resources at 26 hiring halls over six months in neighborhoods with the highest unemployment rate.

About the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services

The NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) makes city government work for all New Yorkers. Our commitment to equity, effectiveness, and sustainability guides our work providing City agencies with the resources and support needed to succeed, including:

• Recruiting, hiring, and training City employees.
• Managing 55 public buildings.
• Acquiring, selling, and leasing City property.
• Purchasing over $1 billion in goods and services for City agencies.
• Overseeing the greenest municipal vehicle fleet in the country.
• Leading the City's efforts to reduce carbon emissions from government operations.

Learn more about DCAS by visiting nyc.gov/dcas and by following us on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and listening to the Inside Citywide podcast.

Contact:
Dan Kastanis
Director of Media Relations, DCAS
[email protected]