Intern Success Story: Molly Bly
By Sandy Wilson, Process Improvement Intern
December 22, 2017
Molly Bly began her Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) career as an intern with the Office of Process Improvement. Focusing on process improvement initiatives, she added value to a number of CDOT departments. Today, Bly is the workforce development liaison for CDOT's $2.3 billion Central 70 project.
The Work
Bly sharpened her own skills and identified opportunities for process improvement. She worked directly with CDOT's Program Management Office (PMO) to establish templates and guidance for creating documents and tracking multiple PMO-managed projects. She also led the initiative to improve coordination between CDOT's Denver Metro region and the Division of Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSM&O).
Additionally, Bly developed a nine-week communications-improvement course for CDOT's Division of Project Support. Work included developing the course timeline and curriculum, which covered non-verbal and verbal communication, and how it is transferred into the workplace.
Photo of Molly Bly
The Future Workforce
In May 2017, Bly started her role on the Central 70 project, a position made possible when the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approved CDOT's initiative to hire local residents near the project. CDOT will be working with the project's developer, Kiewit Meridiam Partners, to hire 20 percent of the project's workforce from 15 neighborhoods adjacent to I-70 in north Denver. To achieve this goal, CDOT is partnering with training and community-based organizations to train and assist in hiring local residents to work on Central 70.
Bly's first task was to assist in opening a local training facility. "It's been a privilege working with great partners to help develop construction workforce pipelines for Central 70 and the Denver Metro area," Bly said. "With Colorado's low unemployment rate, it's crucial for job seekers and for the industry to create career pathways in construction." Bly feels lucky to part of an exciting initiative: helping the people of Colorado and working alongside passionate workforce advocates.