DAPHNE — 17-year-old twin brothers Ben and Jacob Odom are two out of 40 rising high school seniors selected to work with the Baldwin County Utility Internship program in its fourth year.

By coordinating six utility companies with 14 private and public schools, the internship program provides an environment for high school seniors to receive hands-on work experience. Students are placed in internships for electric, gas, water, wastewater, warehouse, customer service, engineering or administrative services.

"At some point you just got to start doing serious stuff instead of just playing around," Ben Odom said.

His brother, Jacob Odom, agreed by saying that in this internship "you're stepping into real life for the first time."

The Odom twins, rising seniors at Daphne High School, are both spending their summer at Daphne Electric Warehouse in the warehouse and on ground crew, and they are learning how the different roles work together.

Students can continue working within their utility placement throughout their senior year as part of a cooperation with the Alabama Work-Based Learning Program. After graduating high school, students are encouraged to look at open positions for services they have received training in, allowing them to land a full-time job right out of high school.

"The internship has been very effective in training these young men and women for the job," said Sharon Cureton, administration manager at Riviera Utilities, "and they find out if they have a true interest in the work."

Cureton said that at the end of the internship the students will receive a letter of recommendation alongside a certificate for their training and completion of the nine-week internship. She also said that some students continue to college for degrees in subjects like engineering.

Cureton said her advice to students considering the internship, especially ones who are on the fence about going off to college, that it's important to "look at all your options" before assuming college is the only choice after high school.

"These are wonderful positions to take to help them in their college pursuit," Cureton said. "Work is a good thing, and once you get into working you might find out you prefer working."

Before starting the internship, students work closely with their career coaches at school to create or work on resumes, practice and complete interviews, go through drug screenings and physical examinations and fill out work related paperwork. Cureton said these steps are a first-time experience for many of the students.

Upon the start of the internship, students receive uniform shirts, protective gear and safety training. Cureton said the process is similar to one that a new hire goes through at the company. Students are provided with "everything they need to succeed" in the workplace.

Both Jacob and Ben Odom said the teams they were on were beneficial to what they learned and how they learned.

Ben Odom said they had "no knowledge on specifically this line of work. They (the other workers) really did a great job teaching us and also making us feel like we fit in."

"What I've learned is that there's times for messing around and there's times to work," Jacob Odom said about the lessons he's taken away from the crew he was placed with.

On Aug. 2, Baldwin County Utility Internship will hold its annual commencement, which celebrates and demonstrates what the students have learned over the summer. This year, the amount of students was so great that the event had to be moved to the Foley Civic Center.

Rising seniors can check with their career coaches if this program is available in their area and the steps they need to take to get involved.