A new program has been set up to overhaul the Student Career Experience Program and Student Temporary Employment Program and ensures student hiring is done objectively.
The program, Pathways, which was implemented on July 10, is in response to Executive Order, Order 13562 that President Obama signed on December 27, 2010.
Pathways has three separate tracks, internship, recent graduate, and presidential management fellows, in order to provide students and recent graduates employment opportunities in the federal workforce.
The internship program provides students in high schools, colleges, trade schools and other qualifying educational institutions with paid opportunities to work in agencies and explore federal careers while completing their education. Interns may work part or full time and are hired on a temporary basis, but they have the opportunity to be converted to a permanent position if they have met the certain requirements.
The recent graduates program is intended to promote possible careers in the civil service to individuals who have recently graduated from qualifying educational institutions or programs. Those who want to partake in this program must apply within two years of degree or certificate completion. They will go through a series of training and development classes and have the possibility to convert to a permanent position.
The last offer is the Presidential Management Fellows program or PMF. Created more than three decades ago, PMF is a flagship leadership development at the entry level for advanced degreed students. Similar to the recent graduates program, the applicant is only given a two-year window to apply after receiving a degree, but this offer only goes to those who have received an advanced degree. Upon successful completion of the program and requirements the applicant can be granted the opportunity for a permanent position.
There are many benefits offered with a position under the new Pathways program, including independence, networking, and time management.
One recent hire of the internship program, Veronica Ambrose, who is working in USACE headquarters, said that under her new position she has learned to become more independent, self-reliant, and is learning how to take direction better.
For more information about Pathways, please visit http://www.opm.gov/hiringreform/pathways/ or the US Army Corps of Engineer’s website at http://www.usace.army.mil/careers.