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Student Trainee (Engineering)

Department of Labor
Mine Safety and Health Administration
Technical Support
This job announcement has closed

Summary

For more information, click Pathways Programs, State Apprenticeship Programs, Other Apprenticeship Programs or Career One Stop.

Interns may be non-competitively converted to a term, career-conditional or career appointment within 180 days following the successful completion of all of their educational and work experience requirements in accordance with 5 CFR 362.204.

The entire duration of the Student Intern Pathway Student Appointment constitutes a trial period.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
11/07/2024 to 11/21/2024
Salary
$36,572 - $47,540 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 4
Locations
4 vacancies in the following locations:
South Park, PA
Triadelphia, WV
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—Eligibility is determined by management based on position duties during the recruitment process. Employee participation in telework on a routine or situational basis is determined by management primarily based on business needs. Employees participating in telework are subject to the terms and conditions of the Department of Labor's Telework Program. Positions are subject to a 5-day minimum on-site work requirement per pay period (or bi-weekly).
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Internships
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
4 - This position is at its full promotion potential. However, at the discretion of the agency, interns may become eligible for noncompetitive conversion to a permanent position in the competitive service. If converted, promotion potential is GS-12.
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
PW-25-DAL-MSHA-12595085-RAD
Control number
817931400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Open to students currently enrolled, or accepted for enrollment, in high school, seeking a diploma or degree in an accredited technical or vocational school, 2-year or 4-year college or university, graduate or professional school, qualifying career or technical educational program, including registered Apprenticeship Programs and certain volunteer service programs (such as Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Job Corps, Climate Corps), on a full or half-time basis as defined by the educational institution.

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Duties

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  • Performs a variety of standardized and repetitive tests to determine the physical, mechanical, and/or electrical properties of materials.
  • Assists laboratory personnel in operating, testing, calibrating, and maintaining sampling equipment and instruments used for inspections and/or evaluations.
  • The incumbent works frequently as an observer and assignments require minimum application of a specialist's knowledge, skills, and abilities. Assignments consist of specific, limited tasks and are carefully selected and assigned with the intention of familiarizing the incumbent with the program administered by the agency.
  • Assists engineers in the promotion of public safety events and campaigns.
  • Participates in special projects and studies as an aid.
  • Assists engineers in preparing for, and reporting on, inspections, studies, surveys, and investigations of mine sites.

The advancement of Interns to higher-graded positions, prior to conversion, is strictly at the agency's discretion. To qualify for promotions, the Interns must have the same level and type of experience and/or education usually required for an initial appointment.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be at least 16 years old and a U.S. Citizen.
  • Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
  • Requires a trial period for the duration of the Internship.
  • Appointees must sign a DOL pathways Program Participant agreement.
  • Must be in good academic standing as defined by the agency as 2.0 GPA or higher.
  • Appointment to this position may require a background investigation.
  • Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements.
  • Appointees must sign a DOL Student Intern Pathways Participant Agreement.
  • Must be enrolled at least half-time at a qualifying educational institution at the time of appointment and must maintain such enrollment throughout the duration of the appointment.

Qualifications

Applicants must be accepted for enrollment or enrolled and seeking a diploma, associate, bachelor, master, professional, doctorate, vocational, technical degree, or certificate) on at least a half-time basis, at a qualifying educational institution and be in good academic standing as defined by the educational institution.

OR

Accepted for enrollment or enrolled in a qualifying career or technical education program that awards a recognized post-secondary credential (such as a Registered Apprenticeship Program or service program such as Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Job Corps, and Climate Corps).

Under this program, an individual who needs to complete less than a half-time equivalent of an academic, vocational, or technical course load immediately prior to graduating is considered eligible.

If you do not meet this definition, you will not be considered.

Click for the Definition of Qualifying Education Institution/Program.

Applicants for this position must meet the definition of a CURRENTLY ENROLLED STUDENT as outlined throughout this announcement. If you do not meet this definition, you will not be considered.

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.

To qualify for a GS-0899-04: Applicants must have completed at least 2 academic years of post-high school study or an associates degree. (Transcripts are required.) The required education must lead to a bachelor's degree (or higher) with specialization in or directly related to Engineering.

To be eligible for appointment, you must be currently enrolled or accepted for enrollment on at least a half-time basis at a qualifying
ABET educational institution, for the purpose of obtaining a diploma, degree, or certificate in Engineering. Current students must have a grade-point average of 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. If appointed, you must maintain a 2.0 or higher grade point average on a 4.0 scale throughout the duration of the internship. You must submit with your application a current academic transcript and/or other official documentation from your academic institution demonstrating your eligibility for appointment.


A student may be appointed to any position that leads to qualification in a two-grade interval professional, administrative, or technical occupational series and that provides an opportunity for the student's growth and development toward the target position.

Special Provisions/Interns with Previous Related Education or Experience. Previous education and/or experience may be evaluated to determine the highest grade level for which the individual is qualified.

Education

Open to students who are currently enrolled, or accepted for enrollment, in high school, seeking a diploma or degree in an accredited technical or vocational school, 2-year or 4-year college or university, graduate or professional school, qualifying career or technical educational program, including registered Apprenticeship Programs and certain volunteer service programs (such as Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Job Corps, Climate Corps), on a full- or half-time basis as defined by the educational institution.

*For Accredited Post-Secondary Institutions, click Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs.
*For Registered State Apprenticeship Programs Information, click State Apprenticeship Programs
*For Other Apprenticeship Programs, click Apprenticeship Programs
*For Industry-Endorsed Certificate Programs, click Career One Stop Certificate Finder

If you do not meet this definition, you will not be considered.

An academic year of undergraduate education is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in an accredited college or university.

You must submit an academic transcript from your academic institution showing the date that you most recently completed the academic requirements described above. See the Required Documents section of this announcement. If you do not submit a transcript indicating your possession of the required education, you will not be considered for this position.

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers. As such, the Department is committed to fostering a workplace and workforce that promote equal employment opportunity, reflects the diversity of the people we seek to serve, and models a culture of respect, equity, inclusion, and accessibility where every employee feels heard, supported, and empowered.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

The appointee must be a U.S. citizen in order to be eligible for conversion to a permanent position in the competitive service upon completion of the program. Upon successful completion of the program and at the agency's discretion, the appointee may be converted to a term or permanent position in the competitive service.

Click here for Career Ladder Promotion Information

All MSHA employees and their spouses, and minor children are prohibited by regulation from having any interest, direct or indirect, in any mine or mining company that may be directly affected by the work of MSHA through its investigations, technical research, or other activities. These interests are prohibited under the Department of Labor's Supplemental Standards of Ethical Conduct Regulations at 5 CFR 5201.105. Certain MSHA employees are required to file a financial disclosure report. For questions, please contact Rhonda Dory at dory.rhonda.a@dol.gov or 972-850-4427.

Upon completion of requirements for graduation and successful completion of the internship, the appointee may become eligible for non-competitive conversion to a term or permanent position in the competitive service provided successful completion of a qualifying degree.

To be eligible for conversion, Interns must:

  • Be a United States Citizen.
  • Complete 480 hours or at least 320 hours with an approved waiver or approved credit of work experience acquired through the Pathway Internship Program while enrolled as a half- or full-time student in a qualifying career or technical education program (which may include a Registered Apprenticeship Program, Job Corps, AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and Climate Corps).
  • 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.

All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applicants meeting both eligibility and qualification requirements will be evaluated against the competencies described below and will be placed into one of the following quality categories, based on responses to the vacancy questionnaire:

Category A - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and has successful experience in the same or similar job that has demonstrated superior proficiency in applying the critical competencies required by this position to work of increased levels of difficulty and complexity.

Category B - Meets the basic qualification requirements for the vacancy and demonstrates satisfactory proficiency in the critical competencies by this position.

Category C - Meets the specialized experience described in the minimum qualification requirements section of this announcement and demonstrates proficiency in the basic competencies.

Evaluation Factors (Competencies) - All qualified applicants will be evaluated on the following key competencies:

  • Engineering and Technology
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Writing


Click here for Evaluation details.

You may preview questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12595085

The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, volunteer, and other lived experience, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.).

The examining Office of Human Resources (OHR) makes the final determination concerning applicant ratings. Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your vacancy question responses. If not, the OHR may amend your responses to more accurately reflect the level of competency indicated by the content of your resume.

Mine Safety and Health Administration

Begin a challenging career with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and you will help shape the workforce of tomorrow. DOL offers rewarding opportunities to contribute to a noble mission; to serve and protect American workers, prepare them for new and better jobs, and to ensure the safety and fairness of American workplaces.

The Department of Labor values its customers. Every DOL employee is responsible for delivering good customer service through accurate, courteous, efficient, and effective transactions.

The Department of Labor does not make unfavorable hiring decisions on the basis of an applicant's previous or current unemployment, or the fact that an applicant has experienced financial difficulty through no fault of his/her own and has undertaken good faith efforts to meet his/her financial obligations. Consideration is given to financial status in relation to appointments only where required by law, regulation, or Executive Order.

Applicants with disabilities can contact the vacancy point of contact listed on the job vacancy announcement to request reasonable accommodations needed for the application process.

Agency contact information

Rhonda Dory
Phone
972-850-4427
Email
dory.rhonda.a@dol.gov
Address
Mine Safety and Health Administration
200 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20210
US

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https://www.msha.gov/

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