Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall establish an internship program for returning wounded combat veterans. The purpose of the program is to assist returning wounded combat veterans by matching them with jobs within the department that require their military skill sets and would be of benefit to the department, or that would teach them new skills. The jobs may include, but are not limited to, the following classifications: Engineering; construction trades; logistics; and project planning. The emphasis of the program should be to assist veterans who served in southern or central Asia, Operation Enduring Freedom; and the Persian Gulf, Operation Iraqi Freedom. This program may assist with the placement of wounded combat veterans as apprentices under RCW 39.04.320. The department may adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW to implement the requirements of this section. For the purposes of this section, "veteran" has the same meaning as in RCW 41.04.005.