DOJ Pathways Internship Program - Bureau of Prisons (Human Resource Student Trainee)

PATHWAY PROGRAM OVERVIEW: The Pathways Internship Program is designed to provide students enrolled in a variety of educational institutions, from high school to graduate level, with paid work opportunities in agencies to explore Federal careers while still in school. Provides students with work experience related to the career goals while offering eligibility to permanent employment upon completion. To learn more, visit: http://www.opm.gov/HiringReform/Pathways/program/interns/.

Duties

This position is part of the Pathways Internship Program and is located at the Central Office, regional office or an institution in the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).

Primary responsibilities for an office may include labor management negotiations, disciplinary and grievance procedures, staffing (recruitment, requesting certificates of eligibles and interviewing), workforce projections, Equal Employment Opportunity statistics, the performance evaluation and incentive awards programs, Senior Executive Service program, time and attendance, leave administration and employee compensation.

Work assignments will provide the opportunity to learn the overall mission, functions and organization of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Increasingly difficult assignments will require the student to apply analytical skills, problem solving, coordination, written and oral communication skills.

Salary

• $48,809 - $60,679/year

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship is Required.
• Must sign a Pathways Internship Program Participant Agreement
• Be at least 16 years of age
• Maintain a GPA of 2.5 and above with no grade below a "C"
• Maintain at least a half-time course load at the collegiate level.

PATHWAYS ELIGIBILITY - To be eligible for appointment to a position in the DOJ Internship Program an individual must:

• Be accepted for enrollment or enrolled and seeking a degree or certificate in a qualifying educational institution; to include “qualifying career or technical education programs” (which may include Registered Apprenticeship Programs, Job Corps, Climate Corps, AmeriCorps, and Peace Corps).
• Be seeking a degree that is relevant to this position.

As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

Qualifications

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following:
 
Applicants must be current students pursuing a degree or certificate in a qualifying educational institution with an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher AND maintain at least a half time or full-time course load.

AND 

Completion of four (4) academic years of post-high school leading to a bachelor's degree or equivalent degree.

This position has a basic educational requirement.  Individuals applying for this position must be enrolled in a degree program directly related to the position.  In order to be eligible for conversion into the competitive service, the incumbent must meet the degree requirements, as governed by the Office of Personnel Management, for this position.
 
Applicants must also provide documentation from the educational institution verifying current enrollment with at least a half time or full-time course load.  This documentation may be a Current Enrollment Verification Certificate or a statement of current enrollment or acceptance letter (which verifies all of the required information).

If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities. 
 
**Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.** 

The Fair Chance Act prohibits specific inquiries concerning an applicant’s criminal or credit background unless the hiring agency has made a conditional offer of employment to the applicant.  An applicant may submit a complaint, or any other information, to the agency within 30 calendar days of the date of alleged non-compliance by contacting the EEO Office in the Central Office at BOP-PRD-EEOOffice-S@bop.gov.

After a conditional offer is received, all applicants must satisfactorily pass all screening requirements related to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit check.

Education See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable. ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here. Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty. Other Information

PATHWAY PROGRAM OVERVIEW: Allows students to be exposed to the work of the Government through Federal internships while pursuing their degree. This position is being filled under the Pathways Internship Program which is designed to provide students enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions, from high school to graduate level, with paid work opportunities in agencies to explore Federal careers while still in school. The Internship provides managers a ready source of student employees and potential permanent employees upon completion of the program requirements.  It also provides the student with work experience directly related to the curriculum studies or career goals. 

To learn more, please visit: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-authorities/students-recent-graduates/#url=Program-Fact-Sheets

Special Conditions of Employment Section:

Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a pre-employment and panel interview, urinalysis, physical and background investigation.  

The Core Value Assessment (CVA) is an in-person assessment that must be facilitated at a Bureau of Prisons Human Resource Servicing office.  On the day of the scheduled interview, a CVA will be administered.  The applicant assessment must be completed within a 70 minute time period and a passing score must be obtained.  Further employment consideration will not be extended if the applicant fails to complete the examination or fails to achieve a passing score.  Note: The Core Value Assessment will not be administered to current BOP employees.

Conversion to the Competitive Service:  Interns may be converted to a permanent position (or, in some limited circumstances, to a term position lasting 1-4 years) within 120 days of successful completion of the program.

To be eligible for conversion, Interns must:

Complete at least 480 hours of work experience acquired through the Internship Program;
Complete their degree or certificate requirements;
Meet the qualification standards for the position to which the Intern will be converted;
Meet agency-specific requirements as specified in the Participant's Agreement, and perform their job successfully.
Agencies may waive up to 320 of the required 480 hours of work for Interns who demonstrate high potential as evidenced by outstanding academic achievement and exceptional job performance.
In addition, students working in agencies through third-party intern providers may count up to 320 of the hours they work toward the 480 hour requirement.

Time spent under previous Internship Program appointments may count towards required work experience hours.  Applicants will be required to provide supporting documentation to support participation in previous programs.

Conditions of Employment:

Upon conversion into a permanent position:

• In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3307, a maximum entry age of 36 has been established for initial appointment to a position in a Bureau of Prisons institution. If you are above the maximum entry age and have prior federal law enforcement coverage, or are a preference eligible veteran, you MUST submit the required documentation. Please refer to Required Documents Section.
• Intern must attend and successfully complete the Introduction to Correctional Techniques, a 3-week training course in Glynco, GA.

Required Documents

• Veterans' Preference Documentation:  Veterans MUST provide a DD-214 demonstrating that they have been discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions (i.e., the individual must have received either an honorable or general discharge).
• If you are on active duty and expect to be discharged or released from active duty service within 120 days, you may submit a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty from the appropriate Branch Personnel Office containing the following information: (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; (2) and the character of service (must be an honorable or general discharge); and (3) any qualifying service/campaign/expeditionary medals.
• SF-15: If you are a disabled veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, widow/widower of a veteran, the spouse of a disabled veteran or the parent of a disabled or deceased veteran, submit a completed Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference"; all other required documentation identified on the SF-15, in addition to the veteran's DD-214 described above.  A Department of Veterans Affairs letter must contain: the Veteran’s Name and Combined Service-Connected Evaluation. For a copy of the most current SF-15, Click Here.
• Failure to submit all required documents at the time of application will result in the loss of claimed preference eligibility.
• Resume: showing relevant experience (cover letter optional).
• In order to receive credit for experience contained in an application, your employment history must be documented in month/year format (MM/YYYY), reflecting starting date and ending date and include the number of hours worked per week.  Failure to follow this format may result in disqualification.
• College transcript: which includes the School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). (Note:  If you are selected for this position, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day).
• SF-50: for proof of prior LEO coverage, if applicable.

Failure to provide these documents could possibly result in removal from consideration for this vacancy.  If uploading documentation, do not identify/save your documents utilizing a special character such as %, #, @, etc.  Documentation should be identified/saved as VA Letter, DD214, or Transcripts.

We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software, delays in mail service, applicant application errors, etc.

How to Apply

You must apply through the online application system at www.USAJOBS.gov.  Follow the prompts to register, answer a few questions and submit all required documents.  

NOTE:  Submission of a resume alone is not a complete application.  This position may require the completion of additional forms and/or supplemental materials as described under the Required Documents section.  Please carefully review the complete job announcement and the "How to Apply" instructions.  Failure to provide the required information and/or materials will result in your application not being considered for employment.

Claiming Veterans Preference? If yes, you MUST claim preference on-line during the application process and upload documentation to support preference claimed.   Failure to claim Veterans Preference or provide supporting documentation may result in you not receiving appropriate consideration during the assessment process.

Required supporting documentation must be electronically uploaded or transferred from USAJOBS (uploaded).

All required supporting documentation MUST be received by the Consolidated Staffing Unit by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on the closing date of the vacancy announcement.  Supporting documentation for announcements with an application limitation MUST be uploaded the same day you apply, as these positions may close earlier than stated in the announcement.  

Paper applications:  If applying online is impossible, please contact the Consolidated Staffing Unit at the telephone number listed below, prior to the closing date of the announcement for the alternate application procedure.

Contact for Assistance in Applying On-Line:
DOJ, Federal Bureau of Prisons
Consolidated Staffing Unit
346 Marine Forces Drive
Grand Prairie, TX  75051
E-Mail:  BOP-HRM-HRSC-ConsolidatedStaffingUnit-S@bop.gov
Phone:  972-352-4200

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits.

Health and life insurance coverage for Federal employees depends on the type of appointment. Students hired under the Pathways Internship Program may be entitled to these benefits. If eligible, employees serving on temporary appointments will receive the same government contribution as full-time permanent employees. Temporary employees are not eligible for coverage under the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Program.

Students hired under the Pathways Internship Program are generally ineligible for retirement coverage.

Applicants hired under the Pathways Internship Program on appointments for 90 days or more are eligible to earn annual and sick leave.  As provided in 5 U.S.C. 6303(b), employees whose appointments are limited to less than 90 days may be eligible for annual leave if they have previously served for a continuous period of 90 days under successive appointments.