PHS Partners With Lee Auto Service Department for Internships

A new internship opportunity for Portland High School students with the Lee Auto Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram Service Department provides students with hands-on experience

 working with cars.

PORTLAND, Maine – Portland High School students have a unique and valuable internship opportunity, thanks to Lee Auto. Through Dustin Lee, parts manager, students can intern in the service department, learning skills such as changing and torquing tires, changing oil, checking tire pressure, rotating tires, and working with breaks and spark plugs.

Lee is the only auto shop that currently partners with Portland High School, according to Andrea Levinsky, Portland High School extended learning opportunities coordinator. “This internship provides an invaluable experience for students,” she said. “Students work directly with service staff members and gain one-on-one mentorship in the field.”

This internship allows students who may not have the opportunity to enroll in the automotive program at the Portland Arts and Technology High School (PATHS) and students who hope to begin the program in the future to be able to get hands-on experience working with cars. Lee had one Portland High intern last year and has two Portland High interns this year.

Broderick Rutledge, a sophomore planning on enrolling in the PATHS Automotive Program, likes the internship because “it's something I enjoy, [and] the people that I work with also play an important part in it, too. They make the internship even more enjoyable.”

Francis Costin, a senior, said, “It’s really interesting to learn auto skills on a variety of different vehicles, and I am also excited to be able to apply the skills I learn at Lee Auto to my car later in life.”

The internship benefits Lee too. “It’s a great opportunity for us to build relationships with Portland students who have interest in automotive,” Dustin Lee said. “These students get real exposure to what it’s like to work at our dealership. Hopefully they like it and will think of us when it comes time for them to start their careers.”

Portland High School is eager to partner with more businesses, including more in the automotive field. Any businesses interested in getting involved through job shadows, mock interviews, internships or career panels, please contact Andrea Levinsky, Extended Learning Opportunities Coordinator at levina@portlandschools.org or 207-874-8250 x7425.