About the program

The Ministry of Transportation’s Engineering Development Program (EDP) is a 6-year training program for recent graduates that provides practical, on-the-job experience where you will help build and improve Ontario’s highways and bridges.

Three people at a construction site, wearing safety vests and hard hats, looking at a blueprint together

There are engineering roles at the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) in variety of fields, such as:

The program offers:

  • formal and informal learning and professional development opportunities
  • rotational assignments related to:
    • engineering and contracts standards
    • asset management
    • engineering and design
    • construction of provincial highway infrastructure
  • mentorship with licensed engineers who will coach and support you throughout the program
  • networking opportunities to connect with engineering professionals from the private sector, municipalities and transportation agencies
  • the ability to meet requirements to apply for an engineering licence with the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO)
  • career growth in the Ontario Public Service. You will need to search for and successfully find a position at MTO by the end of the program. Once you have obtained your professional engineer (P.Eng.) designation from PEO, you can apply to engineering roles.

Eligibility

You may be eligible for the program if you:

  • graduated from university within the last 2 years
  • were in a minimum 4-year degree program in engineering, specializing in:
    • general civil engineering
    • geotechnical
    • traffic management
    • transportation
    • structural or materials specialties
  • qualify to become licensed with the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO) and meet the technical and educational requirements
  • are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada or authorized in writing to work in Canada under the federal Immigration Act
  • are over the age of 16
  • have a Social Insurance Number (SIN)
  • have a valid class G driver’s licence or equivalent

How to apply

You can apply for this program by submitting your cover letter and resume through the OPS Careers website.

Engineering Development Program jobs are posted in the fall of each year.

To search for Engineering Development Program jobs, select “science and engineering” as the job category. You can also set up job alerts to receive email notifications of job openings at the Ontario Public Service.

Type of work you can do

You will rotate between assignments which may include the following:

Highway design

You may:

  • research technical data and conduct site investigations to develop:
    • preliminary engineering and detailed designs
    • contract drawings
    • tender documents for highway, structural, electrical and maintenance projects
  • undertake highway geometrics or operations studies
  • help to assess environmental impacts
  • assist in acquiring and managing consultants for the ministry including:
    • evaluating proposals
    • assessing whether they are adhering to the requirements of the assignment
  • prepare a variety of preliminary reports, correspondence and presentations for projects related to engineering or transportation systems planning

Traffic

  • You may: collect data, participating in investigations and preparing traffic operations reports on specific areas of a highway
  • prioritize improvements and carry out capacity and collision analyses to identify locations of concern
  • evaluate proposed changes to traffic control practices and policies
  • develop traffic modelling and forecasting
  • participate in the development of innovative solutions to traffic management issues and the design and implementation of new control devices

Structural

You may:

  • conduct structural condition inspections
  • perform preliminary designs and investigations
  • assist in the design of bridge structures
  • use computer modelling to assess bridge behaviour (such as SFRAME and CANBAS programs)

Geotechnical/Engineering materials

You may:

  • assist with pavement condition assessments
  • recommend pavement management strategies for sections of highways that need improvements
  • assess field information including pavement condition, and subsoil and aggregate sources
  • prepare preliminary pavement and soils design reports and recommending rehabilitation programming
  • provid input to the regional preventative maintenance program

Construction

You may:

  • monitor the day-to-day administration of construction contracts for ministry construction projects
  • organize staff and review work progress
  • ensure proper records are established and maintained
  • manage quality assurance acceptance testing and inspection
  • assist in the acquisition and management of consultants including evaluating proposals

Contact us

You can email MTO-EDP@ontario.ca if you have questions about the program.