STUDENT AND INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS REPORT
Information
about the Student and Internship Programs
Agency
Conversions to Permanent Positions
Student
and Intern Employment Workforce Overview
Student
and Internship Trends in USDA
Distribution
of Students and Interns by Mission Area
Student
and Intern Employees by Gender
Representation
of African American Students and Interns
Representation
of American Indian Students and Interns
Representation
of Asian and Pacific Islander Students and Interns
Representation
of Hispanic Students and Interns
Representation
of White Students and Interns
Students
and Interns by Race and National Origin
The Office of Human Resources Management
(OHRM) has developed a Student and Internship Program Report (SIPR). SIPR
is an important recruiting resource designed to help agencies eliminate
the under representation of minorities, women, and individuals with disabilities
in the Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The SIRP should be used by each agency
as a tool to help develop plans to improve diversity and to monitor the
results of targeted recruitment or employment efforts. We suggest that
the SIRP be distributed widely.
The student and intern employment statistics
used in this report were collected from the Mission Area Student Educational
Employment Program Managers. The report represents nationwide data.
It includes individuals who were enrolled in the student and intern programs
as of August 2002. It also includes information about the student and intern
programs, and information on the number of individuals who were converted
from student and intern appointments to Career or Career Conditional Federal
assignments. OHRM made every effort to collect and use the most accurate
data in developing this report.
USDA's students and interns are participants
of the following student and internship programs:
Departmental Administration (DA) Serviced Agencies
Global Change and Analysis
Office of Budget and Program Analysis
Office of Civil Rights
Office of Communications
Office of Human Resources Management
Office of Operations
Office of the Chief Economist
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO)
Office of the Chief Information Officer
Office of the General Counsel
Office of the Secretary
Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services(FFAS)
Food Safety
Food Safety and Inspection Service
Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services (FNCS)
Food and Nutrition Service
Natural Resources and Environment (NRE)
Forest Service
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP)
Agricultural Marketing Service
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards
Administration
Research, Education and Economics (REE)
Agricultural Research Service
Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service
Economic Research Service
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Rural Development (RD)
OCFO-National Finance Center (NFC)
INFORMATION
ABOUT THE STUDENT AND INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS
Additional information on student and intern
programs may be obtained from the Mission Area Student Programs Managers
who are listed on the Internet at http://www.usda.gov/da/employ/InternetStudentProgramManagersList.html
or from the other individuals that may be identified in the write-ups.
Information about the student and intern programs listed in this report
and about others is as follows:
Nationwide:
Career
Intern
The Career Intern Program is designed to
attract exceptional men and women to the Federal workforce who have diverse
professional experiences, academic training, and competencies, and to prepare
them for careers in public service. Throughout the 2-year internship, individuals
participate in a formal training program and job assignments to develop
competencies appropriate to the agency's mission and needs. The program
is a tool that allows agencies to hire promising external and internal
candidates with minimal red tape.
Presidential
Management Intern
The Presidential Management Intern (PMI)
Program is the Federal Government's premiere program for bringing persons
with advanced degrees into Federal Service. It was established by Executive
Order in 1977 to attract to the Federal service outstanding individuals
from a wide variety of academic disciplines who have an interest in, and
commitment to, a career in the public service. By drawing graduate students
from diverse social and cultural backgrounds, the PMI Program provides
a continuing source of trained men and women to meet the future challenges
of public service. The PMI Program is an excellent source of high potential
candidates for management and program analyst jobs.
Federal
Student Educational Employment Program - Co-op Component
These students can be recruited at any
time during the year. Some work summers and school vacations; some work
part-time throughout the year; and still others work full-time for one
or more semesters. These students can be hired directly into the Excepted
Service and immediately converted to the Competitive Service after graduation
if they have worked at least 640 hours. Specialized variations of this
program include:
USDA/1890
National Scholars
Each year, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides 34 or more full 4-year scholarships to any of the 17 Historically Black 1890 Institutions as part of the USDA/1890 National Scholars Program. The scholarship program is open to students completing their senior year of high school, who score a minimum of 1000 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, or a score of 21 or higher on the American College Testing examination. Candidates must also have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or better. Scholars must major in agricultural related fields, food or natural sciences, or other allied disciplines such as computer science, pre-veterinary medicine, and biological sciences. Students normally work during the summers. For additional information you may access the USDA/1890 Internet site at: http://1890scholars.program.usda.gov or contact the USDA/1890 National Scholars Program Manager, Linda Oliphant, at (301) 504-2223 or write to:
USDA, Natural Resources and Conservation Service
Attn: USDA/1890 National Scholars Program Manager
STOP 5474
5601 Sunnyside Avenue
Beltsville, Maryland 20705
Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area:
Government
Connection Apprenticeship
The Government Connection Apprenticeship
Program is a partnership between the Prince George's County Maryland Public
School System and USDA which moves the classroom into the Department to
facilitate the training of students to fill clerical and administrative
support positions. USDA is partnered with High Point High School. The Government
Connection Apprenticeship Program provides challenging work for students
as well as, income, and will allow students to obtain permanent employment
after graduation, or will allow them to pursue their goals for higher education.
The program is open to students in their senior year at High Point. Selections
are normally made in the spring. Students normally work the summer before
their senior year of high school and throughout the senior year. Students
may be obtained using either the Federal student regulations or the Agency's
contracting authority. They are paid at the GS-1 rate of $7.52 per hour,
which may be increased to the GS-2 hourly rate after 6 months.
Nationwide:
Federal
Student Educational Employment Program - Student Temporary Employment Component
These students can be recruited at any
time during the year to work for up to 1 year, but some work for a summer.
Students may be converted from this component to the Co-op component at
any time to perform career related duties. Students may also be reappointed
to the Co-op component. Student temporaries have no conversion eligibility.
They are sometimes screened by third parties. Variations of this program
include::
Workforce
Recruitment Program
The Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP)
is designed to assist students with disabilities gain employment with Federal
agencies. This program is coordinated by the President's Committee on Employment
of People with Disabilities and the Department of Defense, with a consortium
of 16 other Federal agencies participating. In addition to summer opportunities,
this program also provides opportunities for college students with disabilities
to explore permanent Federal job options.
All students hired under WRP are provided
the necessary workplace accommodations such as sign language interpreting
services, microcomputer accessible technologies, and telecommunication
devices for the deaf. In order to successfully perform essential job functions,
the Department of Defense lends equipment to the employing agency for the
duration of the WRP student's employment. Additional information may be
obtained from Bill Haig, USDA Disability Employment Program Manager, Departmental
Administration, Office of Human Resources Management, 1400 Independence
Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250 at (202) 720-0516 voice or (202) 720-7850
(fax), or
william.haig@usda.gov
(e-mail).
USDA
Summer Intern
USDA offers paid summer internships involving substantive work assignments to college students, or to high school graduates who have been accepted by a college, as part of the USDA Summer Intern Program. Internships are located in Washington, D.C., and throughout the nation. Summer Intern opportunities are listed in the annual Summer Intern Brochure which is issued in December of each year, and posted on the Internet at: www.usda.gov/da/employ/intern.htm. Agency's estimates for this program are due by the end of November each year. The first applications in response to the opportunities are normally screened by the end of February or early March of the following year. Agencies may also elect to announce other summer opportunities to meet their needs.
Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area:
D.C.
Federal Jobs Initiative
The D.C. Federal Jobs Initiative is a White House/Federal/Washington, D.C., Government initiative that provides employment for D.C. youth. Most USDA initiative candidates are college students. However, agencies may request high school students. Students may be employed for the summer only or they may be employed year-round. They earn approximately $9 - $10 per hour or less depending on the nature of their assignment, and their qualifications. Candidates are referred by the D.C. Office of Employment Services in the spring. Also, students who live in Washington, D.C., or who are permanent residence of D.C., and who are identified by a manager may also be selected as part of the initiative.
Law
School Civil Rights Intern
The Law School Civil Rights Intern Program
is a USDA/Howard University initiative that provides temporary year-round,
or summer internships for second and third year Howard University Law School
students to work in USDA's Agencies. These interns can work in any officenotwithstanding
the name of the program. Interns earn approximately $14 per hour. Additional
information may be obtained from the Howard University Law School Placement
Office at (202) 806-8135.
Student
Host Assignments Funded by USDA
These students are paid by third parties and are not USDA employees. They have no conversion eligibility when they graduate. However, if the student has sufficient time before graduation to work the minimum number of hours for a cooperative education appointment, they can usually be appointed under that program at the beginning of the next semester.
Nationwide:
Hispanic
Association of Colleges and Universities Internships
The USDA E.(Kika) De La Garza Internship
Program is one of the building blocks of the partnership between USDA and
the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). Through this
program outreach efforts are focused to advance USDA's vision of increasing
educational and employment opportunities for academically qualified students
of Hispanic Serving Institutions, as well as other students that participate
in this program. The program offers spring, fall and summer internships.
Costs for the summer 2002 internship program was $8,500 and approximately
$11,700 for the fall 2002 and spring 2002. Additional information may be
obtained from agency HACU liaisons or Maria Patterson, National Program
Director, at (202)720-6506.
Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area:
American
Indian Higher Education Consortium-Washington Internships for Native Students-(AIHEC-WINS):
USDA participates in the Washington Internships
for Native Students (WINS) Program in partnership with the American Indian
Higher Education Consortium. AIHEC-WINS is a distinctive paid 10-week learning
experience for future American Indian leaders. AIHEC-WINS interns are not
USDA employees, but USDA pays a fee for each intern. Costs for the program
are $9,500 per student. Bonafide Alaska American Indian, or other American
Indian college students who will be sophomores or juniors as of May, and
who have a GPA of 2.5 or above are eligible for the program. Additional
information may be obtained from:
Washington Internships for Native Students
The American University WINS, Nebraska Hall, Room 104
4400 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20016-8126
(202) 895-4967
Student
Host assignments, Free to USDA
These students are either paid by a third
party or not at all. They are not USDA employees and have no conversion
eligibility. However, if the student has sufficient time before graduation
to work the minimum number of hours for a Co-op appointment, you can appoint
them under that program at the beginning of the next semester.
Nationwide:
Student Volunteer
USDA provides unpaid internships as part
of the Federal Student Volunteer Program. Volunteer positions may be made
at anytime with only a letter of understanding between the USDA Agency
or Mission Area, the student, and a student's accredited institution such
as a high school, trade school, college or university. Student volunteers
are not considered Federal employees except for injury compensation or
laws related to Tort Claims.
Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area:
D.C.
Summer Works:
The D.C. Summer Works Program provides
paid employment for District of Columbia youth. The D.C. Government pays
the youth's salaries, and Federal agencies provide work sites. Agencies
identify their needs in the spring. Candidates are referred for placement
by the D.C. Office of Employment Services in July.
Nationwide Agency Programs:
ARS
Intern Programs:
The ARS Intern Programs are not required
to be formally advertised. Management may recruit for student positions
on their own (e.g., contacting local schools) to solicit applications.
Managers work directly with their Human Resources Specialist in hiring
students. Students can go to the website
http://www.afm.ars.usda.gov/areas.htm
and contact locations directly to see if management has positions they
are seeking to fill.
Research Apprentice Program - The
program is targeted to high school students who have an interest in science,
maintain satisfactory grade averages and are referred by local high school
science teachers. These federal positions are appointed temporarily during
the summer for 8 weeks full-time.
Summer Medical and Research Training
(SMART) Program - Provides summer internships at the Agricultural Research
Service-Children's Nutrition Research Center, Houston, TX, for college
students in the pre-medical/research field. Eligibility is based on academics.
The SMART Program positions are funded by the Baylor College of Medicine
(BCM), Houston, TX. Eligible pre-medical and science college students submit
applications to BCM for a paid temporary 8-week summer intern position.
Students hired are BCM employees. Students are not considered federal employees.
Teacher Research Fellowship Program
-
This program is directed toward elementary, junior, and senior high school
biological or physical science or mathematics teachers. The prime objective
is to acquaint teachers with modern Agricultural Research Service research
in a hands-on laboratory settings, thus enabling them to better communicate
career opportunities to their students. This appointment is a federal temporary
appointment for an 8-week full time assignment at the GS-5 to GS-7 grade
levels.
USDA's new Career Intern Program was launched
in 2002. It is off to a good start in terms of allowing agencies to easily
fill mainstream occupations in the sciences and in administration/professional
areas. A diverse group of 71 individuals has been selected so far. Sixty-four
of the selectees possessed either a Bachelor's or a Master's Degree.
OHRM's student and intern report also indicates
that USDA's recruitment of students and interns increased for 2002 while
strides were made with efforts to hire women and minorities. The report
shows the number of students and interns Departmentwide (headquarters
and field) increased by almost 10 percent from 8,765 students in Fiscal
Year (FY) 2001 to 9,611 in FY 2002. Minorities represent 2,558 individuals
of the Departmentwide total students and interns. This is an increase over
last year's total of 2,452 students. The increase in students and interns
was led by the Forest Service. Hispanic students increased by almost 17
percent including an increase in their participation in the Career Experience
Program. (Career Experience positions may be converted to permanent positions
once students complete their education.) African American students showed
good representation at 10.9 percent of all students and interns, although
their numbers decreased in 2002. Asian and Pacific Islander students showed
a 15 percent increase in their numbers rising from 297 students and interns
in 2001 to 343 in 2002. American Indians showed an increase of one individual
which keeps their percentage high at 2.7 percent in the student and intern
population. However, American Indian students did decline in the important
Career Experience Program falling from 61 students in 2001 to 45 students
in 2002. White students showed the largest increase rising from 6,313 students
in 2001 to 7,053 in 2002. They represent 73.4 percent of all students and
interns.
The SIRP shows the number of Career Experience
Program positions increased by more than 15 percent from 1,177 positions
in FY 2001 to 1,377 positions in August 2002. Also, women students in USDA
showed a good increase from 4,151 women in 2001 to 4,389 in 2002.
The Benefits of Increased Student and Intern Employment
As USDA anticipates the retirement or the
eligibility for retirement of a substantial portion of its almost 100,000
employees within the next few years, USDA needs to prepare for this increased
turnover. Additionally, USDA needs to be able to more quickly respond to
changes in priorities, to be able to increase entry-level hiring, and to
improve workforce diversity. USDA's increased use of student and intern
programs places it in a good position to meet these challenges. Use of
the student and intern programs allows managers to preview the performance
of prospective permanent employees, and the ability to convert students
and interns to permanent appointments in the case of the Career Experience,
Career Intern, and Presidential Management Intern Programs. (Career Experience
positions can be used as feeder positions to fill scientific, professional,
technical, administrative, support and blue color positions. Students who
attend accredited educational institutions on at least a half-time basis
at the High School Diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED), Vocational/Technical
Certificate, Associate Degree, Baccalaureate Degree, Graduate Degree, and
Professional Degree may be employed under the Career Experience Program.
The Career Intern and Presidential Management Intern Programs are geared
to recent college graduates. Although persons with outstanding experience
backgrounds may be considered for the Career Intern Program.)
Students and high skilled and/or degree bearing interns are cost effective.
Students earn between $9.00 to $10.00 per
hour for the approximately 9,370 students who are on USDA's payroll; $8,500
to $9,500 for the 116 students who are paid under contracts with third
parties such as the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities;
and free for the 14 students who are paid by others, and the 111 students
who are volunteers. Degree holding and/or high skilled interns in the Career
Intern Program earn between $25,347 to $38,406 in the Washington, D.C.
area depending on their qualifications and/or education. PMI's in the Washington,
D.C. area earn $38,406.
The Flexible Schedules of Student and Intern Employees
Most students work part-time. However,
under the Student Temporary Employment Program students can also work full-time.
This flexibility allowed the Forest Service to use some students during
the fire season. Degree holding and/or high skilled interns work full time
and have full benefits packages.
USDA's mission areas reported the conversion
of students from the Career Experience Program to permanent positions.
Information on the conversions is as follows:
|
|
Food and Nutrition Service | 5 |
Food Safety and Inspection Service | 2 |
Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services | 7 |
Forest Service | 94 |
Marketing and Regulatory Programs | 12 |
Natural Resources Conservation Service | 58 |
Research, Education and Economics | 8 |
Rural Development | 1 |
USDA/1890 National Scholars | 8 |
TOTAL | 195 |
Minorities represent 26.2 percent of the
student and intern employment in USDA. Other highlights in Student and
Intern Employment are as follows:
STUDENT
AND INTERN EMPLOYMENT WORKFORCE OVERVIEW
The student and internship employment covered in this report increased from 8,765 students in FY 2001 to 9,611 students and interns in August 2002. Also, the total number of students in most minority groups increased. This upward trend can be seen in the representation of Asian and Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and American Indian students and interns. The representation of women also rose.
Year | Total | White | African American | Hispanic |
Asian & Pacific Islander |
American Indian |
2002 | 9,611 | 7,053 | 1,047 | 909 | 343 | 259 |
2001 | 8,765 | 6,313 | 1,116 | 781 | 297 | 258 |
Source: Mission Area 2001 and 2002 Student
and Internship Program data.
Mission Area/Agency | Total | Percentage |
Departmental Administration | 62 | .6 |
Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services | 279 | 2.9 |
Food Nutrition & Consumer Service | 83 | .9 |
Food Safety | 69 | .7 |
Marketing & Regulatory Programs | 417 | 4.3 |
National Finance Center | 28 | .3 |
Natural Resources & Environment | 6,864 | 71.4 |
Research, Education & Economics | 1,537 | 16.0 |
Rural Development | 272 | 2.8 |
Source: 2002 Department of Agriculture
Mission Area/Agency supplied data. Includes students and interns paid by
USDA, paid by others, and volunteers.
Gender | Total | Percentage |
Male | 5,222 | 54.3 |
Female | 4,389 | 45.7 |
Source: 2002 Department of Agriculture
Mission Area/Agency supplied data. Includes students and interns paid by
USDA, paid by others, and volunteers.
Distribution of African American Students and Interns by Program
Total | 1,047 |
ARS Intern | 3 |
Career Experience | 188 |
Career Intern | 8 |
D.C. Federal Jobs Initiative | 31 |
D.C. Summer Works | 14 |
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Intern | 1 |
Law School Civil Rights Intern | 1 |
Student Temporary Employment | 551 |
Student Volunteer | 4 |
Summer Intern | 46 |
USDA/1890 National Scholars | 111 |
Workforce Recruitment | 8 |
Other | 81 |
Source: 2002 Mission Area Student and Internship
Programs data. Includes students and interns paid by USDA, paid by others,
and volunteers.
Distribution of Hispanic Students and Interns by Program
Total | 909 |
Career Experience | 165 |
Career Intern | 4 |
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Intern | 83 |
Presidential Management Intern | 1 |
Student Temporary Employment | 543 |
Student Volunteer | 11 |
Summer Intern | 34 |
USDA Hispanic Scholars | 2 |
Workforce Recruitment | 4 |
Other | 62 |
Source: 2002 Mission Area Student and Internship
Program data. Includes students and interns paid by USDA, paid by others,
and volunteers.
REPRESENTATION OF ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER STUDENTS AND INTERNS
The majority of the Asian and Pacific
Islander students participate in the Student Temporary Employment Program.
There are 234 Asian and Pacific Islander students enrolled in this program.
The second largest program in which students participate is the Career
Experience Program. The Forest Service hired the most Asian and Pacific
Islander students and interns with a total of 174 individuals. The Agricultural
Research Service had the second highest number with 86 students participating
in their programs.
Distribution of Asian/Pacific Islander Students and Interns by Program
Total | 343 |
ARS Intern | 3 |
Career Experience | 60 |
Presidential Management Intern | 1 |
Student Temporary Employment | 234 |
Summer Intern | 14 |
Workforce Recruitment | 5 |
Other | 26 |
Source: 2002 Mission Area Student and Internship
Program data. Includes students and interns paid by USDA, paid by others,
and volunteers.
Distribution of American Indian Students and Interns by Program
Total | 259 |
American Indian Higher Education Consortium | 31 |
ARS Intern | 1 |
Career Experience | 45 |
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Intern | 1 |
Student Temporary Employment | 141 |
Student Volunteer | 1 |
Summer Intern | 13 |
Other | 26 |
Source: 2002 Mission Area Student and Internship
Program data. Includes students and interns paid by USDA, paid by others,
and volunteers.
Distribution of White Students and Interns by Program
Total | 7,053 |
ARS Intern | 10 |
Career Experience | 919 |
Career Intern | 59 |
Presidential Management Intern | 18 |
Student Temporary Employment | 5,755 |
Student Volunteer | 95 |
Summer Intern | 130 |
USDA/1890 National Scholars | 1 |
Workforce Recruitment | 33 |
Other | 33 |
Source: 2002 Mission Area Student and Internship
Program data. Includes students and interns paid by USDA, paid by others,
and volunteers.
Race and National Origin | Total | Percentage |
African American | 1,047 | 10.9 |
American Indian | 259 | 2.7 |
Asian/Pacific Islanders | 343 | 3.6 |
Hispanic | 909 | 9.5 |
White | 7,053 | 73.4 |
Source: 2002 Mission Area Student and Internship
Program data. Includes students and interns paid by USDA, paid by others,
and volunteers.