Careers in Government Pace University Career Services TYPES OF INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES IN GOVERNMENT
On December 27, 2010, President Obama signed an Executive Order, “Recruiting and Hiring Students and Recent Graduates.” This Executive Order establishes a Pathways Programs framework with 3 clear excepted-service program paths tailored to recruit, hire, develop, and retain students and recent graduates. The 3 program paths included in its framework are: an Internship Program, a Recent Graduates Program, and a reinvigorated Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program. Also the Federal Career Internship Program (FCIP) has been eliminated, effective March of 2011
Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP): Traditional summer internship typically paid and available to any student enrolled in college. This program will be phased out in early 2012. Internship Program: The Internship Program will replace the existing Student Career Experience Program (SCEP), and is targeted towards students enrolled in a wide variety of different types of educational institutions, with paid opportunities to work in agencies and explore Federal careers while still in school. This program should be ready in early 2012. Recent Graduates Program: This brand new program will target recent graduates who have recently graduated from qualifying educational institutions or programs. To be eligible, applicants must apply within 2 years of degree completion (except for veterans precluded from doing so due to their military service obligation, who will have six years after degree completion). Successful applicants will be placed in a 2-year career development program with a cohort of peers hired during time frames aligned with academic calendars. Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF): President Obama’s Executive Order expands the eligibility window for applicants, making it more “student friendly” by aligning it with academic calendars and including those who have received a qualifying advanced degree within the preceding 2 years. It also directs OPM to set eligibility requirements and minimum qualification standards, and to make changes in order to make the PMF experience more robust and substantive for participants. NOTE: While the Executive Order creates these programs, they will not be operational until OPM promulgates new regulations to implement them. Regulations will be released toward the end of 2011, the current student hiring will be in effect until then (STEP, SCEP)