Ecology Youth Corps

Ecology Youth Corps (EYC)

NWRO

Regional Information -
Northwest Region (NWRO)

Youth Crews

The Department of Ecology in the Northwest Regional Office (NWRO) will be hiring 96 youth to staff 16 Ecology Youth Corps (EYC) road crews for Summer 2008.  Each crew is comprised of one supervisor and 6 youth.

WHEN: Those hired will work one of two sessions:

First Session:   June 23 - July 18, 2008
OR
Second Session:   July 21 - August 15, 2008

WHERE:

     Crew Locations in the Northwest Region

  • Whatcom County - 2 crews
  • Skagit/North Snohomish County - 2 crews
  • Central Snohomish County - 2 crews
  • East King County - 2 crews
  • North King County - 2 crews
             (including Seattle north of Interstate-90)
  • South King County - 4 crews
             (including Seattle south of Interstate-90)
  • Kitsap County - 2 crews

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY

      Applicants must

  • Be between 14-17 years old by first day of employment and provide proof of age
  • Be eligible to work in the United States
  • Have a Social Security card and photo identification
  • Submit a complete application (Part 1) and two complete reference forms (Part 2), by the deadline

If hired:

  • You will earn $8.07 per hour.
  • You will work 7.5 hours a day, 37.5 hours per week, 7:00 am to 2:30 pm, Monday thru Friday
  • You will get two paid 15-minute breaks per day.
  • You will get one paid 30-minute lunch break.
  • You will be insured by Labor and Industries for work related injuries
  • You will not receive medical benefits, paid holiday, sick, or vacation time
  • You will be expected to work for the entire 4-week session
    no vacations, camps, or other activities should be scheduled that would cause you to miss even one day of your 4-week work period.
  • You are responsible for your daily transportation to and form the crew meeting location, which will be chosen with parental/guardian input at a hiring meeting, AFTER the crew is selected.  The supervisor will transport the crew to and from this meeting point to and from the job site and will remain with the crew throughout the day.  Crew members are encouraged to bring their own healthy snacks and lunch each day.
  • Crew members are trained in proper safety procedures.  Ecology provides gloves, hard hats, safety vests, protective eyewear, and EYC Program T-shirts, which must be worn at work.  Ecology also furnishes all crew deployment equipment and safety attire EXCEPT footwear.  Crew members are responsible for providing and wearing a pair of sturdy, hard-soled, over-the-ankle leather-typed work boots and supplying their own rain gear.

As an Ecology Youth Corps Crew Member, you will be working alongside freeways and highways, as well as parks and other public access points.  In addition to picking up litter, you will be sorting out many of the recyclable materials (aluminum cans, glass, scrap metal, etc.) that you collect.  Your crew will take them to a recycling center. In 2007 EYC crews recycled more than 72 tons of material!!!

You will also be learning a great deal about the environment and keeping it clean and healthy.  Most people find this to be a challenging but highly rewarding job.

NOTE:  Only applicants available to work for a full 4-week session will be considered for summer employment.

HOW TO APPLY FOR THE JOB

Applications will ONLY be accepted from February 1, 2008 until April 8, 2008.  Only applications that include an EYC Application AND two EYC Reference Forms will be considered for an interview.

Note: If you are visiting the site before February 1, 2008 and wish to apply online, please check back after February 1, 2008 as the web site will not accept applications before this date.

Faxed applications will not be accepted in 2008, nor will applications received after April 8, 2008.

There are three ways to apply for positions in NWRO for summer 2008:

  1. Online - Recommended & Preferred Method
  2. Download PDF Application and Reference Forms
  3. Some school counselor offices or career centers may have paper copies of the applications, though many may only have information sheets about the job with instructions for applying online. Please check with them.

The online job application process has two parts:

    Part 1 is the on-line application
    Part 2 contains the reference forms that two teachers, counselors, school administrators, or coaches must complete

FOLLOW THESE STEPS TO APPLY:

Note: To apply online you will need to be able to print as well as know your social security number.

  1. Go to the on-line application form - PART 1  and follow the instructions.  After successfully completing PART 1, you will be connected to Part 2.

NEED A COMPUTER?  If you do not have a computer and printer at home, there are still other places where you can apply on-line.  Try these:

  1. PART 2 - Teacher Reference Forms (2).  You will be instructed to print out the reference forms from the website.  The form will tell you to:

  2. Give the reference forms to two different school officials (teachers, counselor, school administrator, or coach) to complete and return to you.  NOTE:  References from relatives or friends will disqualify your application.

  3. The last step is to mail the reference form, completed by two separate references, to our office received by the April 8, 2008 deadline.  Completed reference forms should be sent to

Ecology Youth Corps
Attn: Linda Harris
3190  160th Ave SE
Bellevue WA 98008-5452

You may apply ONE time per summer.  Submitting multiple applications to increase the chances of being selected for an interview is not allowed and may result in disqualification from consideration for an interview.

Your application is not complete until we have received both PART 1 AND PART 2.  After we receive a complete application, a confirmation email or postcard will be sent to you.

We STRONGLY RECOMMEND AND ENCOURAGE applicants to use the on-line application process.  Your efforts will ensure greater accuracy and improve processing time (during the past two years we received over 5,000 applications statewide).  Additionally, using less paper by applying online promotes waste reduction and helps the environment.

You can also print out the application and reference forms by clicking on the follow links (Adobe Reader Required)

  • Application Form
  • Reference Form

If you choose to print the Application and Reference Forms, rather than applying online, they should be mailed together, IN THE SAME ENVELOPE, after being completely filled out, to:

Ecology Youth Corps
Attn: Linda Harris
3190  160th Ave SE
Bellevue  WA  98008-5452

DEADLINE

APRIL 8, 2008!! This is a received by deadline. Faxed applications are not accepted.

Please plan ahead to avoid missing the deadline.

NOTE FOR ONLINE APPLICANTS: even if we receive your application electronically by April 8, if the corresponding Reference Forms do not arrive in the mail until after April 8, your application will be considered late and not eligible for an interview. This means you must allow enough time for teachers to complete your reference forms and return them to you, and then time for you to mail them to our office so they are received no later than the April 8, 2008 deadline.

NOT ABLE TO APPLY ONLINE

If you are not able to apply via the Internet at your local library, Employment Security Worksource office, school, or at home, you may submit a paper copy of the application and teacher reference forms.  School guidance counselors will receive EYC application packets (both applications and reference forms) on or around February 1, 2008.  Please check with your school counselor's office at that time.  If you apply through this method, please complete the application, have the reference form filled by two teachers, counselors, administrators or coaches, and mail the completed forms together, IN THE SAME ENVELOPE, to:

Ecology Youth Corps
Attn: Linda Harris
3190  160th Ave SE
Bellevue  WA  98008-5452
 

Contacts Information:
After reviewing the information above, if you still have questions, please contact:
Linda Harris
Section Secretary
Department of Ecology
Northwest Regional Office
3190 160th Avenue SE
Bellevue, WA 98008-5452
Phone: 425-649-7029
Email: liha461@ecy.wa.gov
Steven Williams
Regional Litter Administrator
Department of Ecology
Northwest Regional Office
3190 160th Avenue SE
Bellevue, WA 98008-5452
Phone: 425-649-7048
Email: stwi461@ecy.wa.gov

The State of Washington provides Equal Opportunity of employment, services, and facilities.  If you have special accommodation needs, please contact the Ecology Employee Services Office at 360-407-6186 or at 360-407-6206

Training and environmental education

All EYC employees receive training before working on the road:

  • Supervisors complete an intensive week which includes first aid/CPR, safety equipment deployment , hazards recognition, defensive driving, disaster preparedness, personnel policies, and environmental education.
  • Youth spend their first day on the job at an all-day safety and team training in the park adjacent to our regional office in Bellevue.

Some environmentally-related tours and education are also part of the crew session.  At the end of their work experience most EYCers report it was a hard job, but very rewarding and a lot of fun.

Median Crews

The Department of Ecology's NWRO will be hiring young adults over aged 18+ to staff median crews.  Most of this hiring will occur in spring and fall 2008, with limited openings in summer (late-June). The crews will be based out of King County in the summer and King and Whatcom counties in the spring and fall.  You may apply for these positions at any time during 2008.

 If hired you will earn $10.00 per hour and work 40-hour weeks. Most teams opt for four ten-hour days - Monday through Thursday.

Median crew applicants must:

  • Be 18 years old by the time they apply and provide proof of age.
  • Be eligible to work in the United States.
  • Demonstrate good safety awareness.
  • Be willing to work outside all day doing physical labor, sometimes in uncomfortable weather conditions.
  • Have a Social Security card and photo identification.
  • Submit an EYC Median Crew Application Form.

Completed median crew applications should be sent to:

Ecology Youth Corps
Attn: Steven Williams
3190  160th Ave SE
Bellevue  WA  98008-5452

Supervisor Job Opportunities

Currently we anticipate 2008 summer supervisor opportunities in the following counties:

Skagit County - One opening (may be filled by incumbent)
Snohomish County - One opening (may be filled by incumbent)
King County - One to three openings

Duration:  4 Months (2 months part time, 2 months full time). Part time work in late-April and May - about 5 to 7 hours weekly. This part time work is in the evenings and involves setting up interviews, conducting interviews, and hiring your summer youth crew members. Full time work starts June 17 and continues through August 20, 2008 - 40 hours per week, 7am to 3pm, Monday-Friday. The position is overtime eligible. There may potential for work beyond August 20.

Wage:  $13.67 to $16.45 per hour, depending on experience. 2.0% raise effective July 1, 2008.

Union Security: This position is covered by a union shop provision. Therefore, as a condition of employment, candidates who are appointed are required to become members of the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) and pay dues or as a non-member pay agency shop fee, non-association fee or a representation fee. The union shop provision shall be effective no later than the 30th day following the effective date of the appointment.

If interested in a temporary or seasonal job doing independent and challenging outdoor supervision of youth, please click on Job Information to access our supervisory requirements and links to EYC supervisor job applications. For consideration for summer employment as a Youth Supervisor, please apply by April 4, 2008.  Completed state applications should be mailed to:

Ecology Youth Corps
Attn: Steven Williams
3190 160th Ave SE
Bellevue WA 98008-5452


For further information about supervisor opening, please contact the Regional Litter Administrator at 425-649-7048 or stwi461@ecy.wa.gov.

For more information please contact Steven Williams.