Section 41. With the approval of the personnel administrator, the administrator may establish in the division a program of engineering internship and may recruit qualified persons to serve in the division as highway engineer interns. Every effort shall be made to recruit qualified persons who reflect the diversity of the commonwealth.

The number of persons employed in the division as highway engineer interns shall at no time exceed 7, nor may such highway engineer interns employed by the division be placed in a salary grade higher than that of a junior civil engineer in the division.

No person shall be appointed or employed as a highway engineer intern except upon requisition made by the administrator and upon certification by the personnel administrator from an eligible list prepared in accordance with chapter 31 and the rules made thereunder; provided, however, that the administrator shall establish such eligible list before June 1 in each calendar year by holding a competitive examination which shall be open only to persons who, as candidates for the degree of bachelor of science in engineering are enrolled in at least the junior year as students in any college of the commonwealth, or are Massachusetts residents attending a college of recognized standing outside the commonwealth and to persons who, within the 4 years next preceding, have been awarded the degree of bachelor of science in engineering from a college of recognized standing. The eligible list established each year shall expire upon the establishment of the eligible list in the following year. No person shall be certified for appointment as a highway engineer intern unless he has been awarded the degree of bachelor of science in engineering.

Upon appointment as a highway engineer intern, made in accordance with chapter 31 and the rules made thereunder, the appointee shall sign an agreement binding him to serve as highway engineer intern for a minimum of 2 years unless his employment is sooner terminated by the administrator. It shall be the duty of the administrator to rotate the assignments of each intern during his period of employment in order that such intern may acquire diversified experience in the engineering programs of the department.

The names of persons appointed as highway engineer interns shall be entered in order of date of appointment on a list to be known as ''highway engineer intern list'' in the division of civil service.

Upon completion of 2 years of employment as interns under agreements provided for in this section, persons shall be eligible without further examination for appointment as junior civil engineers, providing a vacancy exists in said title in the department and, upon requisition of the administrator, the names of such persons shall be certified for appointment by the personnel administrator from the highway engineer intern list in accordance with the rules of the civil service commission, except that the basis of certification shall be the order of appointment to such highway engineer intern list.