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Student Trainee (Field Sciences & Engineering)

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

These temporary positions will be filled as Intern Not to Exceed (NTE) appointments. The appointment may or may not be extended depending upon the unit’s need and funding.  Though not anticipated or obligated, graduating students may be offered noncompetitive conversion to a permanent or term, clerical or technician position not to exceed a full performance level of GS-05. 

These positions are located on various National Forests and supporting organizations in a variety of locations.  Duties will vary.  The Internships are targeted toward college undergraduates for grades GS-03 & GS-04 (though graduate students may apply at those grades), and GS-05 for graduate students.  Hiring officials will determine which grade will be offered, depending on unit needs.  For information on the Intern program, please contact the National Collective Recruitment & Hiring Team at recruitmentandhiring@fs.fed.us.

Salary wage as shown is for Rest of the U.S. (RUS).  Specific wage rate will vary by location and may be higher or lower than the amount shown on the vacancy announcement. Please click the following link to search for a specific location on the General Schedule Pay Scale: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2018/general-schedule/

If you have questions on how to apply, please see the Agency Contact Information which is listed below. 

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
03/12/2018 to 03/19/2018
Salary
$26,587 to - $33,394 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 03 - 05
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Anchorage, AK
Flagstaff, AZ
Globe, AZ
Mesa, AZ
Travel Required
25% or less - Occasional overnight travel may be required for work assignments and training
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Internships
Work schedule
Multiple Schedules
Service
Promotion potential
05
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Announcement number
18-NCH-SUM-FSE-345-NTE
Control number
493528500

This job is open to

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Duties

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These Pathways Internship positions are located on Forest Service units and serve as  Intern Not to Exceed (NTE) in support of the Forest Service programs. These positions are designed to provide a career-oriented introduction to the background, philosophy, concepts, and scope of Forest Service field-based programs and a practical understanding of the policies of the employing organization.  Work may be in natural resources programs such as forestry or recreation; biological sciences such as wildlife and plants; physical sciences such as hydrology or geology; engineering, architecture, or surveying; or social sciences such as archeology.  

Applicants should expect that these are all primarily field going positions, with a significant amount of physically challenging field work in natural resource settings. This could involve use of Forest Service vehicles, tools, and Personal Protective Equipment; hiking, exposure to the weather extremes and wildlife, and in some cases, working extended hours or shifts, evening work and/or spending some nights at remote locations.  These are temporary positions.  Interns are not eligible for noncompetitive promotion, and will remain in the grade of selection/appointment for the duration of the internship.  Interns must be available to work full or part-time throughout the internship.  Though not anticipated or obligated, graduating students may be offered noncompetitive conversion to a permanent or term, clerical or technician position not to exceed a full performance level of GS-05.    

The locations listed in this announcement are for recruitment purposes. These are not necessarily the actual duty locations where you will work. If selected, you will be offered placement in a nearby duty station within the Forest that you are applying to.  This will be discussed at job offer.  For information on specific forests, please see www.fs.fed.us. 

GS-0199: Region 2: Glenwood Springs, CO; Region 3: Tucson, AZ; Region 4: Las Vegas and Sparks, NV; Region 5: Arcadia and Nevada City, CA.

GS-0499: Region 1: Coeur d’Alene, ID and Darby, Dillon, Hamilton, and Kalispell, MT; Region 2: Delta, Montrose, Walden and Yampa, CO and Douglas and Laramie, WY; Region 3: Globe, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tucson, AZ and Albuquerque and Santa Fe, NM; Region 4: Idaho Falls, ID and Boise, ID; Region 5: Clovis, Nevada City, Placerville, Porterville, Quincy, Redding, Sacramento, San Bernardino, South Lake Tahoe, Susanville, Vallejo, and Willows, CA;  Region 6: Corvallis, OR; Region 8: Boyce, LA and Franklin, NC; Region 9: Cadillac, MI, Elkins, WV, Warren, PA and Durham, NH; Region 9: Research: Raleigh, NC; and Rhinelander, WI; Washington Office: Washington, DC

GS-0899: Region 2: Delta, CO; Region 3: Flagstaff and Phoenix, AZ and Albuquerque NM; Region 5: Alturas, Nevada City, Susanville and Willow, CA; Region 9: Ironwood, MI, Rutland, VT; Milwaukee and Rhinelander, WI and Elkins, WV  Region 10 Anchorage, AK

GS-1399: Region 2: Lakewood, CO Region 5: Nevada City, Quincy, Redding, Riverside, Susanville and Vallejo, CA 

 

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • A signed participant agreement is required for employment under Pathways
  • Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service
  • At least 16 years of age
  • Must complete and pass background and security investigation
  • Must be enrolled at least half-time in a qualifying educational institution
  • Must be in good academic standing as defined by the educational institution

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

To qualify for the USDA Pathways Internship Program, applicants must meet the following requirements:

  • Must be enrolled at least on a half-time basis or accepted for enrollment as a degree/certificate seeking student.
  • Must be in good academic standing as defined by the academic institution.
  • Must submit unofficial transcript(s) or verification documentation. Official transcripts will be required if the applicant is selected for a position.
  • Must be eligible for the Pathways program for the duration of the appointment.
Spring 2018 graduates will be required to provide proof of continued enrollment for Fall 2018. If no proof of continued enrollment is provided, you will be deemed ineligible for an internship.  Typical proof of  enrollment includes acceptance letters and applications to graduate programs. 

Qualifications

Applicants must meet the definition of a student – be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an accredited technical or vocational school, two-year or four-year college or university, graduate or professional school. Individuals who are enrolled must be taking at least a half-time academic course load leading to a degree or certificate. A certificate program is defined as a post-secondary education, in a qualifying educational institution, equivalent to at least one academic year of full-time study that is part of an accredited college-level, technical, trade, vocational, or business school curriculum.

Candidate must meet all the qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement. The minimum qualification requirements for each grade level of this vacancy announcement are described below:

For GS-03: Completion of one full academic year of post-high school study.

For GS-04: Completion of an associate's degree or 2 academic years of post-high school study.

For GS-05: Completion of a bachelor's degree or equivalent degree.  GS-05 interns are typically graduate students. 

Note: One full academic year of undergraduate; graduate; vocational; trades; technical or high school is the number of credit hours by the college, university or school to represent 1 year of full-time study.

Education

All academic degrees or course work must be completed in an educational institution that has obtained accreditation from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see http://www.edu.gov/

Additional information

  • Bargaining Unit Status: Eligible - Coverage is dependent upon unit location.
  • BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION AND FINGERPRINT CHECK: Selection and retention in this position is contingent on a successfully adjudicated FBI National Criminal History Check (fingerprint check) and a background investigation.
  • Availability of government housing and day care facilities will vary by location.
  • The incumbents of Internship positions may be reassigned/relocated to any geographical location where the employee’s services are needed as determined by management.
  • Direct Deposit – Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choice
  • If you are newly hired, the documentation you present for purposes of completing the Department Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 on your entry-on-duty date will be verified through the DHS “E-VERIFY” system. Federal law requires the use of E-VERIFY to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires. Under this system, the new hire is required to resolve any identification discrepancies as a condition of continued employment.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

GS-03 or GS-04

Please note, these positions are targeted toward students in undergraduate or graduate programs.  

GS-05

Please note, these positions are targeted toward students in graduate school. 

These positions have a targeted effective date of May 27th, 2018. The expectation is that the interns can work full-time over the summer, though work schedules may vary.  Some internships may be limited to local or other applicants who can work year-round while in school.  

Before you submit an application for any of our vacancies, students should completely review the job description and requirements. Students should only apply for positions if they meet the required minimum educational qualifications AND program requirements described in the announcement.

If you have reviewed the announcement and believe that you meet both the minimum qualifications and the program requirements, you should document your experience and education in your resume. Since traditional resumes do not provide all the information needed to determine your status, you should create a more detailed resume to use when applying to Federal positions. Your resume should include:

  • Anticipated graduation date
  • GPA/academic standing
  • Complete course work
  • Work and/or volunteer experience including employment dates, salary and supervisor information
  • References (minimum of two)

Please ensure that your resume contains your full name, permanent address, contact phone number and email address.

Applicants, who meet the eligibility requirements of the Internship program and the basic minimum requirements established for the position, may be referred to the selecting official for consideration. Qualified applicants with veteran’s preference are listed ahead of applicants who do not have veteran’s preference.
To view the application form, visit: https://fs.usda.ntis.gov/cp/?event=jobs.previewApplication&jobid=91409DD1-0A64-4EF0-9521-A88600F3B1C7

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