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Duties

Summary

  • Positions are being filled under the Pathways Student Internship Authority which is designed to provide students enrolled in a variety of educational institutions, from high school to graduate level, with paid work opportunities in agencies to explore federal careers while in school.
  • Student Trainees will perform the following duties under direct supervision. Assignments will be developmental in nature and will assist the employee in gaining the competencies necessary for a career.
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Responsibilities

  • Receives intensive and specialized training in all phases of soil and water conservation and related natural resource conservation programs.
  • Assists in program and conservation planning for a variety of soil and water practices such as terraces, diversions, waterways, farm drainage systems, and others.
  • Learns to perform surveys and set construction stakes for a variety of practices. May operate rod or chain or other specialized instruments to lay out simple practices.

Travel Required

  • Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Supervisory status
  • No
Promotion Potential
  • 4

Job family (Series)

Requirements Help Help Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a US Citizen or US National
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt
  • Must be in good academic standing as defined by your academic institution.
  • Complete at least 640 hrs of work experience prior to completion of degree
  • Enrolled at least half-time at a qualifying educational institution
  • A signed participant agreement is required for employment under Pathways
  • Satisfactory Background investigation and/or fingerprint check
  • Successful completion of two-year trial period
  • Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/
  • Duty Location may change during internship based upon training needs or upon conversion.
  • This position requires the incumbent to possess a valid state driver's license.

Qualifications

  • - Applicants must be currently enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) as a certificate or degree-seeking student at a qualifying accredited educational institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education;
  • - Applicants must be enrolled at least half-time as defined by your educational institution;
  • - Applicants must be in good academic standing (GPA of 2.5 or equivalent) to qualify for the intern program and to stay throughout the duration of their intern in, or related to, the internship opportunity being advertised. Examples of relevant educational fields for this position include but are not limited to: Agriculture, Soil Conservation, Soil Science, Plant Science, Crop Science, Agronomy, Forestry, Rangeland Management, Ag Engineering, Natural Resources, Environmental Science, or other natural resource-related disciplines that will allow applicants to qualify for the conversion requirements listed below.

  • Position Qualifications: Applicants must meet position qualifications requirements as shown below at the time of appointment. The agency must be able to verify that the education was completed successfully before the applicant can be appointed.

  • Below is the education requirement to be qualified for this position:
  • GS-01: Enrollment in a high school diploma or General Education Diploma (GED) program.
  • GS-02: Completion of high school or possession of a GED diploma.
  • GS-03: Completion of 1 full academic year of post-high school study.
  • GS-04: Completion of 2 full academic years of post-high school study or an associate's degree.
  • One full academic year of undergraduate education is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours or the equivalent as defined by the accredited college or university.

  • Conversion Information: Candidates selected from this announcement may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to the entry-level for the target occupation within 120 days of successful degree completion. Non-competitive conversion is to a permanent position in the competitive service, provided that all terms of the Internship Program are met and there is an available position. Entry level for these positions are typically at the GS-05, GS-07 or GS-09 level. The actual grade level at the time of conversion depends on academic achievement and other factors. Conversion is not mandatory or guaranteed and is at agency discretion.

  • Pathways Interns may convert to a permanent position in the same occupational series (e.g., GS-457) as outlined in the intern's Pathways agreement. Upon conversion to the competitive service, this position will have a career ladder up to the GS-09 full performance level. To be eligible for conversion, you must satisfactorily complete all Pathways Program requirements:
  • Complete at least 640 hours of work experience prior to graduation;
  • Complete all mandatory training requirements;
  • Meet performance expectations and be recommended for conversion;
  • Meet suitability requirements; and
  • Meet the position's Qualification Requirements of the associated occupational series as outlined in the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, General Schedule Qualifications Standards. See the link below:
  • https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=0400-ndx

  • After conversion to a permanent position in the Competitive Service, progression from the entry-level to the full performance level for this occupation will depend on successful completion of all requirements for promotion to the next higher grade level. Promotions may be considered after a year at each grade level, but are not guaranteed to occur on a specific time schedule.

  • The GS-0457 Basic Requirement is:

  • Degree: soil conservation or related agricultural or natural resource discipline such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, agricultural education, or agricultural engineering. The study must have included 30 semester hours in a natural resource or agricultural field, including at least 12 semester hours in a combination of soils and crops or plant science. Of the 12 semester hours, a minimum of 3 semester hours must have been in soils and 3 semester hours in crops or plant science.

Education

  • College Transcripts: You must submit a copy of your college transcript or high school diploma/GED certificate as proof that you meet the educational requirements for the grade to which you are applying. You may submit unofficial copies of transcripts at the initial phase of the application process; however, if selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entrance-on-duty. See "Required Documents" section for more details.
  • MUST PROVIDE all transcripts/proof of enrollment/acceptance, and/or current class schedule.
  • 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/

Additional information

  • Student Interns must continue to meet the Pathways Program requirements throughout the duration of the appointment. Incumbents will be required to provide proof of continued enrollment and good standing (cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale) each semester or grading period throughout the internship program. Failure to do so will result in termination of the appointment.

  • Upon completion of all program requirements, Pathways Interns may be converted to a term, career-conditional or career appointment within 120 days following successful completion of all their education; however, conversion is not guaranteed. The full performance level (FPL) of the position to which converted may be up to the GS-09 level.

  • - Physical Demands: Work requires regular and recurring physical exertion such as walking on rough terrain, jumping ditches and furrows, climbing steep banks, or negotiating other terrain features.
  • - Work Schedules: Selected Interns will be expected to work full-time (40 hours per week) during school summer breaks, and may be allowed to work part-time during the school year, depending on location/state selected.
  • - Promotion to the next higher grade may occur without further competition once all legal and regulatory requirements are met to include management's certification of the continuing need for performance of duties at the higher grade level.
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How You Will Be Evaluated

  • You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
  • Your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet the Position Qualifications and Pathways Intern Program Eligibility Requirements listed in the "Qualifications