Highway Maintenance Apprentice

Department Information

This position is only open to Colorado state residents.

• New employees to the State will be paid biweekly. There are 26 biweekly pay periods in a year.
• Salary: LTC Trainee IV - $41,516.80 annually which equates to $19.96/hr LTC Trainee V - $43,700.80 annually which equates to $21.01/hr
• One position will be filled at either the LTC Trainee IV or V level, depending on experience and CDL license status. However, no experience is required.

Would YOU like to earn your CDL at no cost to you?

Are you passionate about safety, travel, hands-on repair, and improvements?

Do you enjoy working outside?

Do you want to learn how to operate heavy equipment?

Are you interested in learning how to maintain Colorado's highways?

If you answered YES to any of these questions -

Consider applying to be a Highway Maintenance Apprentice in our Traffic & Safety unit in Greeley, CO ! (no experience required)

CDOT's Highway Maintenance Apprenticeship Program offers two years of paid mentorship, classroom and hands-on training to prepare you for a meaningful career in public safety. Full benefits are provided.

Apprentices will earn their Commercial Driver’s License and the requirements to qualify for a Highway Maintenance Specialist position at one of our many locations across Colorado. Candidates may be eligible for a pay increase upon successful completion of one year of the apprenticeship and CDL licensure (if hired at LTC Trainee IV). At the end of the apprenticeship, candidates are encouraged to apply for our fully-operational Highway Maintenance Specialist positions with another increase in pay upon promotion and opening up additional opportunities for advancement in both our leadership and technical tracks as their career progresses.

This is a term limited position and employment cannot be guaranteed beyond two years, although at the end of the two year term, apprentices are encouraged to apply for permanent employment as a fully operational Highway Maintenance Specialist. If upon hire, a candidate has prior experience or a CDL, they may be able to complete the program before two years. If selected as an apprentice, you will be required to sign a waiver of retention rights.

About CDOT

CDOT employees make a difference by providing freedom, connection, and experience to the traveling public, while also keeping them safe. The State of Colorado offers competitive medical, dental and vision insurance, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending and health savings accounts. Visit the State of Colorado benefits for details, current premium rates and a summary video about benefits. The state also offers PERA retirement, great optional PERA plans such as 401K, a generous paid time off package of annual, sick, holiday and other leave, strong career growth, tuition reimbursement and professional development. Perks include Colorado Employee Assistance Program (CSEAP) counseling, wellness, credit union membership and employee discount program. Visit CDOT Benefits for details. Some positions may qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

CDOT for All

CDOT’s strength is our people, and our commitment to our people is to shape, support, and sustain the employee experience and ultimately create a supportive workplace where everyone, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, education, disability, socioeconomic status, or any other identity, has the opportunity to thrive.

The eligible list created from this announcement may be used to fill current and future vacancies for a period of up to 6 months.

Description of Job

What You Will Do

No two days are exactly the same in CDOT highway maintenance. Your daily work activities change based on project needs and also vary based on weather, environment, and road conditions. You will be on-call on a rotating basis as well as subject to call to respond to weather and other emergencies. You will typically work closely with your mentor in a team environment, as each maintenance patrol location has at least one lead highway maintenance specialist and multiple highway maintenance specialists. Apprentices will learn these skills:

• Installing pavement markings/striping
• Installing and repairing guardrail, highway markers and signs, warning signs, and lighting
• Plowing snow
• Operating heavy equipment, such as tandem dump truck, loader, tractor mower, etc.
• Mowing grass and weeds
• Removing debris from roadways, including rock, mud, and deceased animals
• Removing debris from culverts, tunnels, etc.
• Shoveling gravel, sand, concrete, and asphalt
• Digging ditches
• Installing and repairing guardrail, highway markers and signs, warning signs, and lighting
• Filling potholes and roadway cracks
• Setting out signs and cones for traffic control
• Removing and covering graffiti
• Installing pavement markings/striping
• Stopping or slowing traffic in emergency situations
• Maintaining equipment and performing minor repairs
• Following safety guidance and wearing proper safety equipment

What Impact You Will Have

Your work is critical to keeping Colorado’s roadways open and safe. Your work also positively impacts quality of life for all Coloradans and visitors and helps our economy to thrive.

What CDOT Provides

• Full benefits, PERA retirement and paid leave
• Personal protective equipment, such as uniforms, boots, hard hats, gloves, safety vest, respirator, and tools
• No cost CDL Entry Level Driver Training and testing using CDOT equipment and tester
• CDOT pays for the required CDL medical certificate evaluation
• Partial reimbursement (up to 50%) for your CDL renewal, after your first year with CDOT
• CPR and first-aid training
• Variety of career training opportunities
• Guaranteed 40-hour work weeks, with opportunity for overtime during weather emergencies
• 4-day work schedule (10-hour days Monday-Thursday) during the summer months, typically May through September
• Opportunities to learn new equipment
• Opportunities for advancement in a stable, long-term career

Your Work Environment

• Exposure to loud noise
• Exposure to fumes, odors, gasses, dusts, etc. that may affect breathing, eyes, and skin
• Required to use appropriate personal protective equipment
• Required to work with chemicals and cleaning products
• Some equipment requires the use of respirators
• Work near traffic, sometimes high-speed traffic
• Use ladders and scissor lifts for heights of approximately 10’–20’
• Required to drive CDOT vehicles
• Work on a rotating shift schedule including nights, weekends and holidays
• Frequently respond to emergencies outside regular work hours and may work overtime including weekends and holidays
• Must be willing and be physically able to work in extreme temperatures (hot and cold), variable weather conditions, and at varying elevations up to 12,000 feet for long periods of time

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

Preferred Qualifications

No previous education or experience is required.

• Demonstrated success with the duties listed in the Description of the Job section
• Highest work/personal ethics and integrity
• Has a strong commitment to working safely
• Has a desire to learn
• Wants to work outdoors
• Likes physically demanding work
• Takes pride in a job well done
• Adapts efficiently to changing conditions and priorities
• Works effectively in a team environment and looks out for team members
• Communicates effectively, especially in safety-critical situations
• Has a strong commitment to providing good customer service
• Likes to solve problems and figure out better ways to do things
• Has experience operating equipment, such as single and tandem axle dump trucks, front end loaders, bulldozers, backhoes, etc.
• Has experience using hand tools
• Has basic computer skills and can learn new software/equipment
• Years of State service experience related to the duties of this position

Conditions of Employment

• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Must possess and maintain a current, valid driver's license that allows operation within Colorado.
• Required to obtain a Commercial Driving Permit followed by a Commercial Driver’s License Class A or B, with no restriction on air brakes, that allows operation within Colorado within twelve (12) months of hire, as a condition of employment. As part of obtaining your CDL permit, you must pass the DOT drug test and DOT physical.
• Must pass a pre-employment screening which may include social security number trace, criminal records check, public court records check, educational records, and driving records checks. More information in the supplemental information section.
• May be required to pass a controlled substance test (i.e., drug test), and DOT physical through our medical provider.
• On-call work (rotating basis as well as subject to call)
• Shift work
• Essential Services Designation – Required to report without delay or interruption to provide essential or emergency services to ensure health, safety, and welfare.
• May be required to live within thirty (30) minutes' driving time in normal weather conditions to be able to respond in a timely manner after being notified to report to work. Knowledge of an emergency or hazardous condition may be considered to be notification to report to workstation.
• New employees are required to take two weeks of maintenance training, while veteran CDOT employees are required to take one week of training each year. This training is completed via computer or in our Aurora location.
• May be required to obtain a Hazardous Materials endorsement within 6 months to 1 year as a condition of appointment.
• Must be willing to respond to emergencies outside regular work hours and work overtime including weekends and holidays.
• Must provide the supervisor with a telephone number where you can be reached for the purposes of responding to an emergency.

Supplemental Information

Applicant Checklist

Complete Applications Must Include The Following Documents

• A complete CDOT Application for Announced Vacancy (please submit online using the green 'APPLY' button at the top of this announcement)
• A complete Supplemental Questionnaire (The questionnaire is part of the online application. You will be prompted to answer them as you are completing your online application.)
• If you are a veteran, a copy of your DD214. Please submit this as an attachment to your online application.

Please note that you may redact information on your attachments that identifies your age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.

Only complete applications submitted by the closing date for this announcement will be given consideration. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed application. Failure to submit properly completed documents by the closing date of this announcement may result in your application being rejected.

The State of Colorado strives to create a Colorado for All by building and maintaining workplaces that value and respect all Coloradans through a commitment to equal opportunity and hiring based on merit and fitness.

The State is resolute in non-discriminatory practices in everything we do, including hiring, employment, and advancement opportunities.

Notifications

All correspondence regarding your status in the selection/examination process will be via email. Include your current working email address on your application and check your email frequently as you could receive time sensitive correspondence regarding this position. We highly recommend that you set up your email to accept messages from "state.co.us" and "***email_hidden***" addresses. It is your responsibility to ensure that your email will accept these notices and/or review your junk mail and spam filtered email. Immediately after you submit your application you should receive an email that confirms that you successfully submitted an application for this position. If you do not, try submitting again until you receive the confirmation email. Be sure to also check your junk folder for email communications from the State of Colorado's website.

The Hiring Process

• All applications that are received by the closing of this announcement will be reviewed against the minimum qualifications in this announcement. Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications proceed to the next step.
• Colorado Revised Statutes require that state employees are hired and promoted based on merit and fitness through a comparative analysis process.
• Part, or all, of the comparative analysis for this position may be a structured application review, which involves a review of the information you submit in your application materials by Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) against the preferred qualifications.
• Be sure your application materials specifically address your qualifications, experience, work products, and accomplishments as they relate to the Major Duties, Minimum Qualifications, and Preferred Qualifications sections as listed above. Failure to include adequate information or follow instructions by the deadline for application may result in your application not being accepted for this position and may affect your inclusion as a qualified candidate in any step of the selection process and placement on the eligible list.
• A top group, up to six candidates, will be invited to schedule an interview with the hiring manager.

Employment Screening

If an applicant reaches the finalist stage of the hiring process, the Colorado Department of Transportation may procure a consumer report and/or investigative consumer report on the applicant in connection with his/her application for employment purposes, as defined under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. These reports may be obtained at any time after receipt of the applicant's authorization. As part of the employment screening an applicant will be requested to disclose any deferred judgments and convictions as well as an explanation of the circumstances around any arrest or conviction. In the event that a screening returns information that the applicant believes is not accurate, he or she will have an opportunity to dispute the information with “Info Cubic.”Accurate, a consumer reporting agency, will obtain the report for CDOT. Further information regarding Accurate including its privacy policy, may be found online at Accurate is located at 200 Spectrum Center Drive Suite 1100, Irvine, CA 92618.The report may contain information bearing on the applicant's character, general reputation, personal characteristics, and mode of living. The information that may be included in the report includes social security number trace, criminal records check, public court records checks, educational records, and driving records checks. CDOT will only request credit reports insofar as they relate to the position for which the applicant is applying. The information contained in the report will be obtained from private and/or public record sources. The applicant will have the right, upon written request made within a reasonable time after receipt of a notice, to request disclosure of the nature and scope of any investigative consumer report.

Appeal Rights

If you receive notice that you have been eliminated from consideration for this position, you may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board or request a review by the State Personnel Director. An appeal or review must be submitted on the official appeal form, signed by you or your representative. This form must be delivered to the State Personnel Board by email (View email address on jobradars.com), postmarked in US Mail or hand delivered (1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver, CO 80203), or faxed View phone number on jobradars.com) within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgement of the department’s action. For more information about the appeals process, the official appeal form, and how to deliver it to the State Personnel Board go tospb.colorado.gov; contact the State Personnel Board for assistance at View phone number on jobradars.com; or refer to 4 Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1,State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, atspb.colorado.gov under Rules.

ADAAA Accommodations

CDOT is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability as defined by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to Madelyn Katz at View email address on jobradars.com

Former State Employees

Former employees of the Colorado Department of Transportation System or any other State of Colorado Department or Agency, who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination, must disclose this information on his/her application.

MK (SAP #50135371/PCR #66094)

The State of Colorado offers permanent employees a variety of benefits including medical, dental, life and disability insurance, as well as a comprehensive leave program. Please click the following link for detailed information:

Please note that each agency's contact information is different; therefore, we encourage all applicants to view the full, official job announcement which includes contact information and class title. Select the job you wish to view, then click on the "Print" icon.

The Colorado Constitution requires that applicants for State of Colorado positions be Colorado residents at the time the application is submitted. Are you a current resident of the State of Colorado who can provide proof of Colorado residency?

• Yes
• No

As required in the announcement, I confirm that I am at least 18 years of age and have a current, valid driver's license that allows operation within Colorado.

• Yes
• No

Which license do you have?

• Regular Drivers License (Class C)
• Commercial Drivers License (Class A or B)
• Commercial Drivers License Permit
• I do not have a Drivers License

I confirm that I am willing to report to work during emergencies, including nights, weekends, and holidays as needed. I confirm that I am willing to live within thirty (30) minutes' driving time, under normal weather conditions, of where the workstation and/or equipment is located. (Note: This 30-minute requirement is necessary in order to report in a timely manner after being notified to report for emergency work. Knowledge of an emergency or hazardous condition may be considered to be notification to report to workstation.)

• Yes
• No

Please confirm that you understand that Highway Maintenance positions are physically demanding jobs and that you will be expected to follow all safety guidance and protocols while working in all weather conditions and near high-speed traffic.

• Yes
• No

I am willing and able to obtain a Commercial Driving Permit followed by a Commercial Driver's License Class A or B, with no restriction on air brakes, that allows operation within Colorado, within twelve months of hire.

• Yes
• No

Although not required, please describe any experience you have using tools, equipment and/or performing physical labor.

I understand that the starting salary for LTC IV is $1596.91 biweekly which equates to $19.96/hr, and that the starting pay for LTC Trainee V is $1680.96 biweekly which equates to $21.01/hr.

• Yes
• No

This is a term limited position and employment cannot be guaranteed beyond two years, although at the end of the two year term, apprentices are encouraged to apply for permanent employment as a fully operational Highway Maintenance Specialist. As a condition of employment, are you willing and able to agree to resign from your apprentice role at the conclusion of the program, after the two year period? If selected, you will be required to sign a waiver of retention rights.

• Yes
• No

Have you been subject to disciplinary action in the last three years of your work experience? If so, please provide details of that disciplinary action. If not, please state "N/A".

If you are a current or previous State of Colorado employee, please list your Employee Identification Number (EID), dates of employment, and classifications for all State of Colorado Departments or institutes of Higher Education for which you have worked. The 2025 Step Pay Program may increase the salary range for employees with time in the class series. Your EID begins with 997 and is nine digits long. Please do not enter your Social Security Number. If not, please state "N/A".

Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must disclose the information on the application. In the space below, please provide an explanation as to why the prior termination or resignation should NOT disqualify your application from the current position. If this does not apply to you, please write "N/A".

If you are a veteran, a copy of your DD214 Member Form 4 and any other documents is required. Please submit these as attachments to your online application. Did you attach the required documents to your application? If not, you may go back and do so now.

• Yes
• No - I am a veteran, but I do not qualify for veterans' preference
• N/A - I am not a veteran

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability We are a federal contractor or subcontractor required by law to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We are also required to measure our progress toward having at least 7% of our workforce be individuals with disabilities. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had a disability. Because a person may become disabled at any time, we ask all of our employees to update their information at least every five years. Identifying yourself as an individual with a disability is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer will be maintained confidentially and not be seen by selecting officials or anyone else involved in making personnel decisions. Completing the form will not negatively impact you in any way, regardless of whether you have self-identified in the past. For more information about this form or the equal employment obligations of federal contractors under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, visit the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at You are considered to have a disability if you have a physical or mental impairment or medical condition that substantially limits a major life activity, or if you have a history or record of such an impairment or medical condition. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

• Autism
• Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, or HIV/AIDS
• Blind or low vision
• Cancer
• Cardiovascular or heart disease
• Celiac disease
• Cerebral palsy
• Deaf or hard of hearing
• Depression or anxiety
• Diabetes
• Epilepsy
• Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, or irritable bowel syndrome
• Intellectual disability
• Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
• Nervous system condition for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson's disease, or Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Psychiatric condition, for example, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, or major depression
• Yes, I Have A Disability, Or Have A History/Record Of Having A Disability
• No, I Don't Have A Disability, Or A History/Record Of Having A Disability
• I Don't Wish To Answer
• Required Question