ERS is seeking qualified students to participate in the 2017 Summer Pathways Internship Program. This temporary appointment is expected to begin in May and end no later than September 30, 2017. Internships are open to individuals who have been accepted for enrollment or who are enrolled and seeking a degree (diploma, certificate, etc.) from a qualifying educational institution on a full or half-time basis. Students seeking degrees in Economics are highly desired.
These positions are temporary; however, an extension of an appointment may be possible without further competition in 1 year increments for up to 8 years in total, as long as you continue to meet the program eligibility requirements and at management’s discretion
Summary
ERS is seeking qualified students to participate in the 2017 Summer Pathways Internship Program. This temporary appointment is expected to begin in May and end no later than September 30, 2017. Internships are open to individuals who have been accepted for enrollment or who are enrolled and seeking a degree (diploma, certificate, etc.) from a qualifying educational institution on a full or half-time basis. Students seeking degrees in Economics are highly desired.
These positions are temporary; however, an extension of an appointment may be possible without further competition in 1 year increments for up to 8 years in total, as long as you continue to meet the program eligibility requirements and at management’s discretion
Interns who are assigned to a GS-0199 Student Trainee (Economics) position will assist higher-grade economists to design, develop, write-up, and publish a wide variety of economic and policy-relevant topics for informational and external publication. Duties require a general knowledge of the basic concepts and principles of economics and are illustrated by performance of any combination of the following:
Collect economic or other information for incorporation into detailed economic research projects;
Analyze and interpret economic statistics;
Compile and place in an orderly arrangement, specified data from a variety of sources;
Use statistical and database software (Excel, Access) to develop and maintain databases and to conduct empirical analyses, independently and as part of a team.
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
US Citizenship is required.
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
Must be at least 16 years of age and meet state and federal employment laws
Must successfully pass a background check/security investigation
Must be in good academic standing (2.0 GPA or higher)
Must sign a participant agreement prior to appointment
Students must be at least 16 years of age and meet Federal, State and Local laws governing the employment of minors.
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 identified discrepancies as a condition of continued employment.
Must be a U.S. citizen prior to non-competitive conversion to a term or permanent position.
A signed participant agreement is required for employment under Pathways.
Qualifications
Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the closing date of the announcement.
Program Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must be currently enrolled or accepted for enrollment from a qualifying educational institution on a full or half-time basis. Applicants must be seeking a degree (diploma, certificate, etc.) and be in good academic standing (GPA of 2.0 or equivalent) throughout the duration of their program. Please see “Required Documents”.
The duties of the position must be related to either the student’s academic or career goals.
Qualification Requirements
GS-07: Completion of 1 full academic year of graduate level education; or eligibility under the Superior Academic Achievement Provision (S.A.A.)* after completion of a bachelors degree. (A degree in Economics is desired).
GS-09: Completion of 2 academic years of graduate level education, or a masters or equivalent graduate degree. (A degree in Economics is desired).
*Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.): Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled. S.A.A. is based on (1) Class Standing - applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class, based on completed courses; or (2) Grade-Point Average - applicants must have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (3) Election to membership in a National Honor Society - membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision.
Applicants will be assessed/evaluated through application of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Schedule D, Pathways Internship Positions.
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.ed.gov/.
A post-secondary certificate program must have been completed at a qualified educational institution equivalent to at least 1 academic year or full-time study that is part of an accredited college-level, technical, trade, vocational, or business school curriculum.
Additional information
• 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. • Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc) should contact: USDAs TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). • More than one selection may be made if another vacancy occurs within 90 days of the issuance of the certification of eligibles.
Additional helpful hints can be found regarding information on: • Federal Jobs by College Major and Internship/Recent Graduate Opportunities: (https://www.usajobs.gov/studentjobs) • Federal Benefits (http://www.opm.gov/insure)
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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
USDA-ERS will provide the following benefits to their student hires: All students hired under the USDA Pathways Internship Program are entitled to benefits such as: -Commuter Transit Subsidy (pending the availability of budgeted funds/allocations) - Flexible work schedule (upon supervisor approval)
Student interns with a NTE date may be eligible to enroll in the Federal Employee’s Health Benefits (FEHB) Program if they meet the criteria as described in the Federal Register Vol. 79, No. 201, October 17, 2014http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-10-17/html/2014-24652.htm
The cost of premiums is split between the employee and the agency, as it is for all permanent employees. (See 5 CFR 870.202 for life insurance and 5 CFR 890.102 for health benefits.).
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Note: If, after reviewing your resume and / or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you provided false documentation, you will be removed from consideration.
This is a Pathways Intern Program position, all applicants who meet the minimum qualifications, to include any selective placement factor(s), if applicable, will be referred to the selecting official. Before a certificate is issued to the selecting official, the resume is reviewed to ensure that you meet all the qualification requirements. A rating will not be used;
Veterans’ preference applies in the order of selection. The order of selection is outlined in 5 CFR 302.304(b)(5)(ii) and states the following: “Under this method, all applicants on the reemployment list are considered before applicants on the regular employment list. On each list, preference eligibles having compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more and considered first, followed, second, by other 10-point preference eligibles, third, by 5-point preference eligibles, and, last, by non-preference eligibles”.
Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply Online" button to the right.
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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
USDA-ERS will provide the following benefits to their student hires: All students hired under the USDA Pathways Internship Program are entitled to benefits such as: -Commuter Transit Subsidy (pending the availability of budgeted funds/allocations) - Flexible work schedule (upon supervisor approval)
Student interns with a NTE date may be eligible to enroll in the Federal Employee’s Health Benefits (FEHB) Program if they meet the criteria as described in the Federal Register Vol. 79, No. 201, October 17, 2014http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-10-17/html/2014-24652.htm
The cost of premiums is split between the employee and the agency, as it is for all permanent employees. (See 5 CFR 870.202 for life insurance and 5 CFR 890.102 for health benefits.).
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
The following documents are required for your application to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in mail service, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted and digitally signed documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
Resume must include: 1) personal information; 2) education; 3) work experience including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; and title, series and grade if applicable; 4) supervisors phone number, e-mail address for each work period listed, and whether or not we may contact them for reference checks; and 5) other qualifications.
Proof of enrollment or acceptance of enrollment and good academic standing. Should be in the form of letters, records, or statements issued from a high school, vocational institution, college or university. The documentation provided must be issued from an authorized source (example: university registrar’s office). AND/OR
A copy of your most recent transcripts which show your field of study, school name, students name, current GPA or academic standing, past and current course work, degree program, and major/concentration. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if selected, an official college transcript will be required prior to entering on duty.
You must submit the documents below if you claim any of the following:
Veterans, if claiming preference: DD-214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty showing dates of service and type of discharge. Disabled veterans must include VA letter & SF-15 if claiming 10 pt. preference. Current active duty members must submit certification that they are expected to be discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions no later than 120 days after date the certification is submitted.
NOTE: If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document. Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agencys staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agencys staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded resumes must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX).
Conditions of Employment: - Selection for this position is contingent upon completion of OF-306, Declaration for Federal Employment during the pre-employment process. - Selection for this position is contingent upon proof of U.S. citizenship or, for noncitizens, proof of authorization to work in the United States plus proof of entitlement to receive compensation. Additional information and guidance on the employment of non-citizens can be found at: http://www.usajobs.gov/ResourceCenter/Index/Interactive/NonCitizensEmployment#icc. For a list of documents that may be used to provide proof of citizenship or authorization to work in the United States, please refer to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, available at http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-9.pdf.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin. The following instructions outline our application process.
You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday - Friday). Applying online is highly encouraged. If applying online poses a hardship, please contact our office during business hours well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages with supporting documents must be submitted no later than noon on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact us if you are requesting this.
Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not have one) at www.usajobs.gov. It is recommended that as part of your profile you set up automatic email notification to be informed when the status of your application changes. If you choose not to set up this automatic notification, then you will have to log into your USAJOBS account to check on the status of your application.
Step 2: Create a resume with USAJOBS or upload a resume into your USAJOBS account. Customize your resume to ensure it documents duties and accomplishments you have gained that are directly related to this position in order to verify that qualifications are met. Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire (you may preview the online questionnaire by clicking on the link at the end of the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement).
Step 3: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire and attach any additional documents that may be required. You can update your application or documents anytime while the announcement is open. Log into your USAJOBS account and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select "Update Application” to continue. NOTE: Verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system. Once in the Agency's staffing system you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX).
USDA/ARS/AFM/NCRBSC/HRB
5601 Sunnyside Ave
Beltsville, MD, 20705
USA
Next steps
USDA Student Trainees who study veterinary or biological science or attend an 1890 Land Grant university, 1994 Tribal College, or Hispanic Serving Institution, may be eligible for the USDA Scholars Program to receive scholarship as well as a university grant for room and board.
If you set up your USAJOBS account to send automatic email notifications, you will receive an email acknowledging: 1) the submission of your online Occupational Questionnaire and resume was successful, 2) if you were referred to the selecting official for consideration, and 3) if you were selected or not selected. If you choose not to set up automatic email notifications, you must check your USAJOBS account for the latest status of your application. Your application may be reviewed to verify that you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements for the position prior to issuing lists to a selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Normally, a final job offer to the selected candidate is made within 30-60 days after the issuance of the certificate.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
The following documents are required for your application to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in mail service, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted and digitally signed documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
Resume must include: 1) personal information; 2) education; 3) work experience including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; and title, series and grade if applicable; 4) supervisors phone number, e-mail address for each work period listed, and whether or not we may contact them for reference checks; and 5) other qualifications.
Proof of enrollment or acceptance of enrollment and good academic standing. Should be in the form of letters, records, or statements issued from a high school, vocational institution, college or university. The documentation provided must be issued from an authorized source (example: university registrar’s office). AND/OR
A copy of your most recent transcripts which show your field of study, school name, students name, current GPA or academic standing, past and current course work, degree program, and major/concentration. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if selected, an official college transcript will be required prior to entering on duty.
You must submit the documents below if you claim any of the following:
Veterans, if claiming preference: DD-214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty showing dates of service and type of discharge. Disabled veterans must include VA letter & SF-15 if claiming 10 pt. preference. Current active duty members must submit certification that they are expected to be discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions no later than 120 days after date the certification is submitted.
NOTE: If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document. Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agencys staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agencys staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded resumes must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX).
Conditions of Employment: - Selection for this position is contingent upon completion of OF-306, Declaration for Federal Employment during the pre-employment process. - Selection for this position is contingent upon proof of U.S. citizenship or, for noncitizens, proof of authorization to work in the United States plus proof of entitlement to receive compensation. Additional information and guidance on the employment of non-citizens can be found at: http://www.usajobs.gov/ResourceCenter/Index/Interactive/NonCitizensEmployment#icc. For a list of documents that may be used to provide proof of citizenship or authorization to work in the United States, please refer to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, available at http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-9.pdf.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin. The following instructions outline our application process.
You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday - Friday). Applying online is highly encouraged. If applying online poses a hardship, please contact our office during business hours well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages with supporting documents must be submitted no later than noon on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact us if you are requesting this.
Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not have one) at www.usajobs.gov. It is recommended that as part of your profile you set up automatic email notification to be informed when the status of your application changes. If you choose not to set up this automatic notification, then you will have to log into your USAJOBS account to check on the status of your application.
Step 2: Create a resume with USAJOBS or upload a resume into your USAJOBS account. Customize your resume to ensure it documents duties and accomplishments you have gained that are directly related to this position in order to verify that qualifications are met. Your resume must support your responses to the online questionnaire (you may preview the online questionnaire by clicking on the link at the end of the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement).
Step 3: Click "Apply Online" and follow the prompts to complete the Occupational Questionnaire and attach any additional documents that may be required. You can update your application or documents anytime while the announcement is open. Log into your USAJOBS account and click on "Application Status." Click on the position title, and then select "Update Application” to continue. NOTE: Verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system. Once in the Agency's staffing system you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX).
USDA/ARS/AFM/NCRBSC/HRB
5601 Sunnyside Ave
Beltsville, MD, 20705
USA
Next steps
USDA Student Trainees who study veterinary or biological science or attend an 1890 Land Grant university, 1994 Tribal College, or Hispanic Serving Institution, may be eligible for the USDA Scholars Program to receive scholarship as well as a university grant for room and board.
If you set up your USAJOBS account to send automatic email notifications, you will receive an email acknowledging: 1) the submission of your online Occupational Questionnaire and resume was successful, 2) if you were referred to the selecting official for consideration, and 3) if you were selected or not selected. If you choose not to set up automatic email notifications, you must check your USAJOBS account for the latest status of your application. Your application may be reviewed to verify that you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements for the position prior to issuing lists to a selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Normally, a final job offer to the selected candidate is made within 30-60 days after the issuance of the certificate.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
