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Student Volunteer

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

Summary

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is accepting applications for Summer 2025 Student Volunteers. MSHA works to prevent death, illness, and injury in mining; and to promote safe and healthful workplaces for U.S. miners. MSHA carries out the provisions of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act), as amended by the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
01/06/2025 to 01/20/2025
Salary
$0 to - $0 without compensation
Pay scale & grade
GS 00
Locations
10 vacancies in the following locations:
Washington, DC
Arlington, VA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Internships - Student Volunteer program
Work schedule
Multiple Schedules - Full time, Part time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
SV-25-DWD-MSHA-12651596-DDH
Control number
826787600

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Open to post-secondary students currently accepted for enrollment, seeking a diploma/degree in an accredited technical/vocational school, 2or4 year college/university, graduate/professional school, qualifying career/technical educational program, registered Apprenticeship Programs and certain volunteer service programs (such as Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Job Corps, etc.), on a full or half-time basis as defined by the educational institution. Must obtain high school diploma or GED by Spring 2025.

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Duties

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In order to be eligible for this opportunity you must be able to obtain academic credit from your institution OR a third-party stipend of at least $15.00 per hour or higher if the locality you are selected for has a higher minimum wage than $15.00.

MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ENFORCEMENT - MANAGEMENT OFFICE
The Enforcement Management Office within MSHA's Mine Safety and Health Enforcement (MSHE) Program oversees and supports the implementation of the MSHE goals and objectives. This office is responsible for managing administrative functions, coordinating with various MSHE Districts and Offices, and ensuring compliance with federal regulations.
Type of Position: Administrative Support
Duties:
- Assist with processing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, gaining exposure to FOIA policies and procedures.
- Provide administrative support to the Enforcement Management Office, including maintaining records and organizing files.
- Coordinate with various divisions and districts to retrieve and organize requested information.
- Prepare drafts and assist with correspondence.
- Support management with administrative tasks as needed.
The position in the Enforcement Management Office is ideal for a candidate looking to develop administrative skills.

MINE SAFTY AND HEALTH ENFORCEMENT - DIVISION OF HEALTH
The Division of Health in the Mine Safety and Health Enforcement (MSHE) Program area is responsible for performing the Agency's enforcement activities by coordinating the administration of functions as they relate to alleviating existing and potential health problems in the mining industry.
Type of Position: Data Analyst
Duties:
- Assist in reviewing pertinent health regulations, health inspection procedures, and program policy.
- Assist in reviewing health exposure data, analyzing trends, and disseminating results to health specialists and supervisors.
- Assist health specialists and supervisors in all health-related matters to support the Districts and Field Offices in meeting their Agency goals.
The position in the Enforcement Health Division is ideal for a candidate looking to develop Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills.

MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION - PEIR
Program Evaluation and Information Resources (PEIR) manages MSHA's program evaluations, data processes, reporting, analytics, Mine Emergency Operations (MEO), and serves as the liaison between MSHA and DOL's Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) for MSHA's information technology (IT) program.
Type of Position: Data Analyst
Duties:
- Create and distribute data reports and other correspondence.
- Provide evaluation and research support.
- Maintain databases.
- Identify, download and conduct data analysis and queries from various sources.
- Create tables and formulas in excel and other statistical programs such as R, SAS, Python, and/or Tableau.
- Assist in survey programs operations, and preparation of analytical reports.
The position of Data Analyst in the PEIR Program Area is ideal for a candidate pursuing a degree in Data Science, Statistics or Mathematics.

Type of Position: Policy Analyst:
Duties:
- Support Special Research Projects.
- Gather reporting requirements and design queries and publish reports.
- Consolidate data development, drawing conclusions and recommending program improvement.
- Review MSHA policy and procedure documents.
- Design queries using MSHA's business intelligence tool and publishing key indicator results.
- Ensures reoccurring reports are delivered.
The position of Policy Analyst in the PEIR Program Area is ideal for a candidate pursuing a degree in Pre-Law, Health Policy or English.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be at least 16 years old and eligible to work in the United States of America (USA).
  • Must be actively enrolled or accepted for enrollment at least half-time at a qualifying educational institution at the time of selection and must maintain such enrollment throughout the duration of this program.
  • Must be in good academic standing as defined by the agency as 2.0 GPA or higher.
  • For minors aged 16 or 17: If selected for a student volunteer position, you must also submit a work permit prior to coming onboard.
  • In order to be eligible for this opportunity you must be able to obtain academic credit from your institution OR a third-party stipend of at least $15.00 per hour or higher if the locality you are selected for has a higher minimum wage than $15.00.
  • Non-resident candidates must have three years of residency in the United States to meet the residency requirement for background investigations.
  • See Additional Conditions of Employment under Additional Information.

Qualifications

Administrative Support (1 position in Washington, DC/Arlington, VA) and Data Analyst (1 Position in Washington DC/Arlington, VA) Enforcement:
- Basic proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook) is preferred.
- Ability to organize a variety of assignments simultaneously to meet deadlines.
- Ability to research, analyze and evaluate information.
- An interest in public administration, public policy, or public service.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work effectively in an in-office, telework, or combination of both (hybrid) work setting (if applicable).
- Ability to work well in a team environment.

Data Analyst (PEIR) (Washington, DC/Arlington, VA):
- Ability to create tables and formulas and other statistical programs such as R, SAS, Python, and/or Tableau.
- Ability to evaluate and verify data quality, accuracy, and/or limitations.
- Conduct statistical analyses and prepares data.
- Apply statistical theories and techniques to create and distribute data reports and other correspondence.
- Make recommendations on data findings and solutions for program improvement.

Policy Analyst (PEIR) (Washington, DC/Arlington, VA):
- Ability to research, analyze and evaluate information.
- An interest in public administration, public policy, or public service.
- Ability to organize a variety of assignments simultaneously to meet deadlines.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Education

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

If you do not submit sufficient academic documentation necessary to demonstrate that you meet the eligibility described in this announcement, your application will be deemed incomplete, and you will be ineligible for further consideration for this vacancy.

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

See the Required Documents section of this announcement. If you do not submit a transcript (unofficial or official) 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.

If the student is not currently enrolled or is between academic programs, the student may have a brief interim period of not more than five months during which the student must demonstrate a bona fide intention of continuing to pursue a course of study immediately after the interim period has ended. This documentation may be provided through an official letter from the academic institution confirming the student's status as a continuing student, or similar documentation.

Graduating seniors from high school, college or graduate school who are not continuing their education will not be considered eligible.

Additional information

Additional Conditions of Employment

  • A Student Volunteer must receive academic credit towards graduation, or must receive a third-party stipend, grant, or other equivalent financial aid for the assignment and the amount must be equivalent to $15.00 per hour, or the minimum wage rate for the geographic area in which the work will be performed, whichever is higher.
  • Must have a high school diploma or have an equivalent General Education Development certificate, and are accepted and enrolled on at least a half-time basis at a qualifying post-secondary educational institution (e.g., junior or community college, four-year college/university, graduate school, or vocational training institution);
  • Appointees must sign a DOL Student Volunteer Agreement form, DL1-6082.
Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have speech disabilities, please dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services.
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 materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

Applicants must meet all legal and regulatory requirements. Reference the Required Documents section for additional requirements
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Statement: 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 promotes 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.

Benefits:

A Student Volunteer is not an employee of the Federal Government for any purposes other than injury compensation and laws relating to the Federal Tort Claims Acts. Therefore, service time is not creditable for leave accrual or any other federal employee benefits. Students are not eligible for noncompetitive conversion to positions in the Federal service.

Student Volunteers are eligible to receive transit benefits.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applicants are encouraged to address their education, experience, and motivation for applying for a student volunteer opportunity with the Department of Labor on their resume. Experience is defined as paid, unpaid, volunteer, and lived experience as it demonstrates the competencies required to perform the duties outlined in this announcement.

You may preview questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12651596

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 the agency personnel including but not limited to subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.).

Agency personnel will make the final determination concerning your referral status. Your resume MUST provide sufficient information to substantiate your vacancy question responses. Failure to do so may result in your removal from consideration.

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