The purpose of the Pathways Intern Employment Program is to provide the intern with exposure to public service, enhance educational experience, and support educational goals. The program is formally structured to give interns the opportunity to work in positions related to their academic/career goals. Participant completes assigned duties, tasks, readings, and developmental activities specified in the program.
Summary
The purpose of the Pathways Intern Employment Program is to provide the intern with exposure to public service, enhance educational experience, and support educational goals. The program is formally structured to give interns the opportunity to work in positions related to their academic/career goals. Participant completes assigned duties, tasks, readings, and developmental activities specified in the program.
Applications will be accepted from United States citizens who are degree seeking students enrolled at least half-time in accredited educational institutions. Half-time enrollment is defined by the educational institution. For institutions that do not have a definition of half-time, half of full-time enrollment will be considered half-time.
You MUST be a continuing student with an expected graduation of December 2019 or later to qualify for this internship.
The Student Trainee (Environmental Protection ) performs as an intern in the pathways program. Under guidance of higher graded employees, performs environmental management tasks implementing environmental protection policies and programs. Provides support to higher graded employees in managing environmental compliance program. Based on knowledge of environmental management practices and principals, analyzes environmental requirements on an as needed basis. Visits operations to resolve minor problems that may also require investigation. Analyzes the source/cause and recommends appropriate course of action to correct minor undesirable conditions. Becomes familiar with basic environmental management principals, pollution control equipment operations, pollution prevention concepts, and environmental compliance monitoring and enforcement. Serve as a member of the installation spill team on petroleum product spills.
This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
See "Other Information" section regarding Selective Service requirements.
Must be at least 16 years of age
Must be a current student or enrolled/accepted for enrollment as a student.
Must sign an Internship Program Participant Agreement.
You must be willing and available to report for duty at the designated location listed in the duty location section of this vacancy announcement.
Selectee MUST be able to work a full time schedule during the summer at the location identified.
Interns will be expected to work at least a Part-Time work schedule while attending school.
If you have graduated and are not currently pursuing further education, you are NOT eligible for a Pathway-Student Appointment.
A written agreement is required between the Western Area Power Administration and the intern.
Veterans Preference applies and will be adjudicated accordingly.
Qualifications
Pathways Intern Employment candidates must meet the qualifications consistent with Western and the OPM qualification standards applicable to the position being filled by the closing date of the announcement.
You MUST be either currently enrolled, or accepted for enrollment into a qualifying educational program beginning the next available school term to qualify for this program. Enrollment must be in an accredited high school, community college, vocational or technical program, undergraduate, graduate, or professional program that culminates in a diploma, certificate or degree.
EXPLANATION OF TERMS An academic year of undergraduate education is defined as 30 semester hours, 45-quarter hours, or the equivalent in an accredited college or university or 36 weeks at an accredited business, technical, vocational, or qualifying educational institution for at least 20 classroom hours per week. An academic year of graduate education is defined as 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement or the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 academic year of full-time study.
"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills; and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Education
GS-4 Completion of 2 academic years of post-high school study or associate's degree
One full academic year of undergraduate; graduate; vocational; trades; technical or high school education is the number of credit hours determined by the college, university or school to represent 1 year of full-time study. The high school curriculum must be approved by a State or local governing body. All education beyond high school must be accredited by an accrediting body or organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
EDUCATION: Students must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an accredited educational institution and provide the following: 1) letters, records, or statements issued from the high school, vocational institution, college or university from an official source (i.e., university registrar's office) and/or 2) copy of transcripts which reflect field of study, school name, students name, 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, the official transcripts will be required prior to entrance on duty.
Transcript MUST be submitted to be considered for this position. (A copy of your degree will not be accepted- unofficial transcripts are acceptable).
Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.
Additional information
More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.
Many positions require successful completion of a background investigation.
All males born after December 31, 1959 must abide by laws regarding Selective Service registration. To learn more about this law, visit the Selective Service web page, Who Must Register. If you are not registered and don't have an approved exemption, you will not be eligible for employment with the Federal government.
Intern NTE positions are not eligible for promotion. If you are selected at the GS-4 level then you will remain at the GS-4 level for the duration of the appointment.
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.
The U.S. Department of Energy fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit the links at the bottom of this page or visit the FedsHireVets website.
If you believe that you are eligible for the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), please visit the OPM ICTAP/CTAP website for more information. In order to be considered under the ICTAP program, your application must score within the pre-established "well qualified" category as stated in the Qualifications section.
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.
Applicants will be evaluated based on information contained in their application/resume. Applicants should include all pertinent experience, awards, commendations, training, and other information in the application.
Veterans' preference applies to all selections made under the Pathways authority in accordance with Part 302 of 5 CFR. To preview questions please click here.
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.
The U.S. Department of Energy fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit the links at the bottom of this page or visit the FedsHireVets website.
If you believe that you are eligible for the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), please visit the OPM ICTAP/CTAP website for more information. In order to be considered under the ICTAP program, your application must score within the pre-established "well qualified" category as stated in the Qualifications section.
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.
Please carefully review the following list to determine what documentation you need to submit. Some documents may not apply to all applicants. If you are unsure, click the link for each document type to read more.
ALL APPLICANTS:You must submit a resume supporting your specialized experience and responses to the online questionnaire.
Your resume should list all work experience (paid and unpaid); you must list the full name and address of the each employer.
For all types of work experience, you should indicate the start and end dates (include month, day, and year); you must also list the average number of hours per week that you worked.
For paid work experience, please indicate your starting salary for each position and the highest salary you earned (if different).
Your resume should also include any education and training you have completed (list the program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
For more information about what to include in your resume, please view this USAJOBS Resume Tutorial video on YouTube.
It is important that you are complete and thorough in your resume. If any of the above information is not included in your resume, we may not be able to fully credit you for your experience.
If specific educational requirements are indicated for this vacancy:Documentation verifying your educational claims which can include unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned and final grade. Please see the Education section for more information.
Official documentation verifying current or projected enrollment as a student must be obtained from the school before the effective date of the appointment. Evidence of enrollment or accepted enrollment in a degree, diploma, or certificate program at an accredited school may include:
Official Transcript. An unofficial transcript maybe provided during the application process; however, students must provide the official transcript prior to the Enter-on-Duty date.
Letter from the Registrar’s or Dean’s office
Advanced Registration Schedule
Evidence of good academic standing as determined by the academic institution (generally a GPA of 2.0 or higher).
Interns and managers must complete, sign, and submit the required Pathways Program Participant Agreement to their servicing HR office.
Veterans:veteran eligibility documentation (DD-214 Member #4 Copy, VA Letter, Standard Form (SF) 15 as applicable). Please note: If you are a veteran who has not yet been discharged, you may provide a statement of intent to discharge from your agency to receive Veterans Preference under the VOW (Veterans Opportunity to Work) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011.
Persons with Disabilities: Individuals with intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities may apply for appointment through the Schedule A hiring authority. Certified verification of a disability from a licensed medical professional; a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist; or any Federal, state, or District of Columbia agency or U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits will be required.
Displaced Federal employees who qualify for CTAP/ICTAP: If you are a former Federal employee who was displaced due to a Reduction-in-Force (RIF) or surplused by some other means, please submit a copy of the separation letter or RIF notice from your agency. To be selected under I/CTAP, you must still be found well-qualified for this position. Please see the OPM Guide to Career Transition for more information.
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.
To be considered for this position, you must submit your complete application no later than 11:59 pm U.S. Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement. If you do not submit a complete application prior to the closing time (regardless of when you started) the online application system will not allow you to finish! Requests for extensions will not be granted, so please begin the application process allowing yourself enough time to finish before the deadline. Our online application system displays a countdown timer at the top of the screen for your reference.
For your security, your session in our online application system will "time-out" if you are inactive for a certain period of time. We recommend that you preview the assessment questions before you apply and prepare all of your information prior to beginning the application. If you do get "timed-out" you will have to log back in to USAJOBS and re-visit the vacancy announcement, you can then click "Update Application" to finish where you left off.
Steps to submit a complete application:
Click the "Apply Online" button. If you are not already logged in, you will need to do so.
You must have a complete resume associated with your USAJOBS account. Please note that some DOE offices do not accept uploaded resumes and instead require that you submit a USAJOBS-formatted resume using the Resume Builder.
You will be prompted to select a resume and any documentation you have attached to your USAJOBS account before you are transferred to the Department of Energy's online application system. Please be aware that any document you select before being transferred to our system, will not automatically be received. You must take steps to download your documents from USAJOBS during the "Documents" step within our online application system (see Step 6).
If you are a first-time applicant to the Department of Energy, you'll be asked to register an account first. If you are a returning applicant, you will skip this step and go straight to the application portion.
You must respond to all applicant assessment questions, carefully following all instructions provided.
You will then be asked to upload additional supporting documentation. If you selected documents from USAJOBS prior to being transferred to our application system (Step 3), you will need to click the "USAJOBS" link to complete the transfer process. These documents ARE NOT automatically transferred! It is ultimately your responsibility to make sure all required documents are either faxed, uploaded, or transferred from USAJOBS successfully. If you are unsure that your documents went through, please contact the HR Specialist listed on the announcement BEFORE the vacancy closes.
After reviewing your submission in the final step, you must click "Submit Application" at the bottom of the page. If you leave the application before clicking Submit, your application will not be received.
If your resume does not support the responses in your application questionnaire, or if you fail to submit required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly.
NEED HELP?
If you experience any difficulties with the online application process (anything after you have clicked the 'Apply Online' button): contact the HR Office listed on this announcement between normal business hours. If you are receiving any kind of error message, please be ready to provide a screenshot or at a minimum, the error message text and number. If necessary, we will put you in touch with the technical support number if we are unable to assist you personally.
If you need help with USAJOBS (searching for jobs, account password/profile issues, or Resume Builder): please visit the USAJOBS Resource Center and select a topic of inquiry. Or, you may reach out to USAJOBS directly for support, by visiting the USAJOBS Contact Us page. We regret that we are unable to support any issues with USAJOBS, as this service is not maintained by the Department of Energy.
If you are experiencing a significant hardship which hinders your ability to apply online please contact the HR Office listed on this announcement during normal business hours to discuss your situation.
Western Area Power Administration
12155 West Alameda Parkway
Lakewood, Colorado 80228
United States
Next steps
After each step in the recruitment process, your status will be updated in our application tracking system. Once this happens, if you have elected to receive e-mail updates, you will be notified through your USAJOBS registered e-mail address. If you have not elected for e-mail updates, you can review your current application status in USAJOBS at any time. Please check that your USAJOBS profile contact information is current and correct each time you apply to a job--this will ensure we are able to contact you as quickly as possible.
In addition to changing your status online, we will send you e-mail notifications at each major step in the process, to include: application received, eligible or not eligible, referred or not referred, selected or not selected.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Please carefully review the following list to determine what documentation you need to submit. Some documents may not apply to all applicants. If you are unsure, click the link for each document type to read more.
ALL APPLICANTS:You must submit a resume supporting your specialized experience and responses to the online questionnaire.
Your resume should list all work experience (paid and unpaid); you must list the full name and address of the each employer.
For all types of work experience, you should indicate the start and end dates (include month, day, and year); you must also list the average number of hours per week that you worked.
For paid work experience, please indicate your starting salary for each position and the highest salary you earned (if different).
Your resume should also include any education and training you have completed (list the program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
For more information about what to include in your resume, please view this USAJOBS Resume Tutorial video on YouTube.
It is important that you are complete and thorough in your resume. If any of the above information is not included in your resume, we may not be able to fully credit you for your experience.
If specific educational requirements are indicated for this vacancy:Documentation verifying your educational claims which can include unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned and final grade. Please see the Education section for more information.
Official documentation verifying current or projected enrollment as a student must be obtained from the school before the effective date of the appointment. Evidence of enrollment or accepted enrollment in a degree, diploma, or certificate program at an accredited school may include:
Official Transcript. An unofficial transcript maybe provided during the application process; however, students must provide the official transcript prior to the Enter-on-Duty date.
Letter from the Registrar’s or Dean’s office
Advanced Registration Schedule
Evidence of good academic standing as determined by the academic institution (generally a GPA of 2.0 or higher).
Interns and managers must complete, sign, and submit the required Pathways Program Participant Agreement to their servicing HR office.
Veterans:veteran eligibility documentation (DD-214 Member #4 Copy, VA Letter, Standard Form (SF) 15 as applicable). Please note: If you are a veteran who has not yet been discharged, you may provide a statement of intent to discharge from your agency to receive Veterans Preference under the VOW (Veterans Opportunity to Work) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011.
Persons with Disabilities: Individuals with intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities may apply for appointment through the Schedule A hiring authority. Certified verification of a disability from a licensed medical professional; a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist; or any Federal, state, or District of Columbia agency or U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits will be required.
Displaced Federal employees who qualify for CTAP/ICTAP: If you are a former Federal employee who was displaced due to a Reduction-in-Force (RIF) or surplused by some other means, please submit a copy of the separation letter or RIF notice from your agency. To be selected under I/CTAP, you must still be found well-qualified for this position. Please see the OPM Guide to Career Transition for more information.
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.
To be considered for this position, you must submit your complete application no later than 11:59 pm U.S. Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement. If you do not submit a complete application prior to the closing time (regardless of when you started) the online application system will not allow you to finish! Requests for extensions will not be granted, so please begin the application process allowing yourself enough time to finish before the deadline. Our online application system displays a countdown timer at the top of the screen for your reference.
For your security, your session in our online application system will "time-out" if you are inactive for a certain period of time. We recommend that you preview the assessment questions before you apply and prepare all of your information prior to beginning the application. If you do get "timed-out" you will have to log back in to USAJOBS and re-visit the vacancy announcement, you can then click "Update Application" to finish where you left off.
Steps to submit a complete application:
Click the "Apply Online" button. If you are not already logged in, you will need to do so.
You must have a complete resume associated with your USAJOBS account. Please note that some DOE offices do not accept uploaded resumes and instead require that you submit a USAJOBS-formatted resume using the Resume Builder.
You will be prompted to select a resume and any documentation you have attached to your USAJOBS account before you are transferred to the Department of Energy's online application system. Please be aware that any document you select before being transferred to our system, will not automatically be received. You must take steps to download your documents from USAJOBS during the "Documents" step within our online application system (see Step 6).
If you are a first-time applicant to the Department of Energy, you'll be asked to register an account first. If you are a returning applicant, you will skip this step and go straight to the application portion.
You must respond to all applicant assessment questions, carefully following all instructions provided.
You will then be asked to upload additional supporting documentation. If you selected documents from USAJOBS prior to being transferred to our application system (Step 3), you will need to click the "USAJOBS" link to complete the transfer process. These documents ARE NOT automatically transferred! It is ultimately your responsibility to make sure all required documents are either faxed, uploaded, or transferred from USAJOBS successfully. If you are unsure that your documents went through, please contact the HR Specialist listed on the announcement BEFORE the vacancy closes.
After reviewing your submission in the final step, you must click "Submit Application" at the bottom of the page. If you leave the application before clicking Submit, your application will not be received.
If your resume does not support the responses in your application questionnaire, or if you fail to submit required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly.
NEED HELP?
If you experience any difficulties with the online application process (anything after you have clicked the 'Apply Online' button): contact the HR Office listed on this announcement between normal business hours. If you are receiving any kind of error message, please be ready to provide a screenshot or at a minimum, the error message text and number. If necessary, we will put you in touch with the technical support number if we are unable to assist you personally.
If you need help with USAJOBS (searching for jobs, account password/profile issues, or Resume Builder): please visit the USAJOBS Resource Center and select a topic of inquiry. Or, you may reach out to USAJOBS directly for support, by visiting the USAJOBS Contact Us page. We regret that we are unable to support any issues with USAJOBS, as this service is not maintained by the Department of Energy.
If you are experiencing a significant hardship which hinders your ability to apply online please contact the HR Office listed on this announcement during normal business hours to discuss your situation.
Western Area Power Administration
12155 West Alameda Parkway
Lakewood, Colorado 80228
United States
Next steps
After each step in the recruitment process, your status will be updated in our application tracking system. Once this happens, if you have elected to receive e-mail updates, you will be notified through your USAJOBS registered e-mail address. If you have not elected for e-mail updates, you can review your current application status in USAJOBS at any time. Please check that your USAJOBS profile contact information is current and correct each time you apply to a job--this will ensure we are able to contact you as quickly as possible.
In addition to changing your status online, we will send you e-mail notifications at each major step in the process, to include: application received, eligible or not eligible, referred or not referred, selected or not selected.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
