Student Trainee (Engineering and Architecture)

Clarification from the agency

See "Who May Apply" in the "Qualifications" section for more information on who is eligible to apply for this position.

• Pathways Internship positions provide for development and training. Assignments become more responsible as incumbent increases knowledge and skills through work experience and academic training. At the full-performance level, you will be expected to:
• As a GS-0899-3 Student Trainee (Engineering and Architecture), the duties include but are not limited to: performing data entry, simple field measurements, and introductory CADD training under supervision to learn fundamental engineering design.
• As a GS-0899-5 Student Trainee (Engineering), duties in addition to GS 0899-3 include: performing routine engineering calculations and assisting with standard site visits while receiving detailed guidance from senior team members.
• As a GS-0899-7 Student Trainee (Engineering), duties in addition to GS 0899-3/5 include: drafting standard project designs, conducting field evaluations, and troubleshooting risk assessment software with general supervision.
• As a GS-0899-9 Student Trainee (Engineering), duties in addition to GS 0899-3/5/7 include: performing engineering design, field evaluations, and cost estimation for civil works projects accomplishing a variety of developmental duties.

Conditions of employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
• Incumbent must sign Department of Defense Pathways Program Internship Participant Agreement.
• Two year trial/probationary period may be required.
• TDY may be required up to 15% of the duty time.
• Applicants must be at least 16 years of age at the time of appointment.
• Applicants must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment on at least a half-time basis in an accredited high school, technical/vocational school, college, or university.
• Must be in good academic standing with a cumulative 2.5 grade point average. 3.0 or above grade point average is preferred.
• Applicants must be enrolled in or accepted for enrollment in an accredited school. (Proof of enrollment is required with application).
• To be eligible for non-competitive conversion to a permanent, competitive service position in the Department of the Army upon graduation, the intern must be a U.S. citizen.
• May be converted, without further competition, to a permanent appointment in the competitive service, to include the corresponding full performance grade at the GS-09, subject to position availability and applicable conversion requirements.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Students who are eligible for participation in the Department of the Army Internship Program
Positions are open to current students pursuing a qualifying degree or certificate in an accredited high school, college (including 4-year colleges/universities, community colleges, and junior colleges); professional, technical, vocational, and trade school; advanced degree programs; or other qualifying educational institution on at least a half-time basis (as defined by the institution in which the student is enrolled). Short-term training programs (e.g., several two-week programs completed) are not considered an academic course of study.

Upon Program completion, Indefinite Pathways Interns (without NTE dates) may be converted to the competitive service IAW the provisions in
5 CFR 362.107 and 362.204.

MAY be non-competitively converted to a career/career-conditional appointment within 180 days of successful completion of academic program.

Internship for current students in good standing at an accredited education.

For this internship, you must be able to work on a full-time basis, 40 hours a week.

This intern position is designed to prepare a student trainee for employment after graduation as an Engineer. Interns will be assigned tasks designed to increase familiarity with the target occupation in a real world work environment.

This opportunity follows a standard promotional path:

1. Internship selection will be made at the GS-03, GS-05, GS-07, or GS-09. A student qualifies for the GS-3 level if they have completed one (1) full academic year of post-high school study.
2. Within 180 days after completion of Internship requirements, you may be eligible for conversion to the entry-level for the target occupation. 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.
3. The full performance level of this position is GS-09.
4. Progression from the entry-level to the full performance level for this occupation will depend on successful completion of all requirements for promotion. Promotions may be considered after a year at each grade level, but are not guaranteed to occur on a specific time schedule.

Basic Qualifications:

• Be at least 16 years of age.
• Applicants must be enrolled or accepted at least half time in an accredited institution pursuing a qualifying degree or certificate.
• Must be in good academic standing with a cumulative 2.5 grade point average. 3.0 or above grade point average is preferred.
• Provide transcripts and proof of enrollment/acceptance letter.
• Provide a detailed resume showing your eligibility, field of academic study, and other career interests for this position.
• Department of Defense Pathways Program Internship Program Participant agreement will be required.
• Must be enrolled in or accepted for enrollment in an accredited school. (Proof of enrollment is required with application).
• Personnel security investigation required. Position is non-sensitive and requires a personnel security investigation on a post-appointment basis only.

To qualify for a Pathways Internship as a GS-03, students must have completed one full academic year of post-high school study.

To qualify for a Pathways Internship as a GS-05, students must have completed 4 academic years of post-high school leading to a bachelor's degree or equivalent degree.

To qualify for a Pathways Internship as a GS-07, students must have completed 1 full academic year of graduate level education; or Eligibility under the Superior Academic Achievement Provision and completion of a bachelor's degree.

To qualify for a Pathways Internship as a GS-09, students must have completed 2 academic years of graduate level education, or a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree.

For qualification purposes, an academic year is computed as follows:

• At the undergraduate level, successfully completed education that has not led to possession of a degree is credited based on its relationship to 120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours. For example, 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours is comparable to 1 year of undergraduate education. Four years of progressive study or 120 semester hours meets the degree requirements. Additional credit cannot be given for duplicate course work.
• For study at a business or technical school, 36 weeks of study (20+ classroom hours per week) is comparable to 1 academic year above high school.
• An academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 academic year of full-time study. This determination is made based on normal course loads for a full year of study in the graduate program. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended.
• When academic credit is expressed in contract months, units, or other terms that differ from conventional semester or quarter hours, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide an interpretation of such credits from the appropriate institution in order to equate them to the semester or quarter hours specified in the standard.

NOTE: If your college, vocational, trade, technical or high schools' definition of "academic year" differs from above, you must submit proof of this difference (e.g., copy of course catalog that defines an academic year). Absent this documentation, you will screened for academic qualifications based on the academic hours as defined in the bullets above.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.

Basis for Rating: Qualified candidates will be assigned to one of three quality categories: Ideal Candidate, Strong Candidate and Eligible Candidate. Veteran preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category.

• Ideal: This category will be used for those candidates who meet or possess exceptional skills and experience to exceed well above the minimum requirements for the announced position.
• Strong: This category will be used for those candidates who meet many of the criteria described above for the ideal candidate.
• Eligible: This category will be used for those candidates who meet the minimum qualifications of the position.

The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist (External).

1. Your resume:

• Your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
• For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position.
• Use plain language. Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood. The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what's in your resume.
• If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
• For additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume.

2. Transcripts and Enrollment Verification:

• Enrollment verification (if transcripts do not reflect current enrollment), and unofficial transcripts for education claimed in your resume and occupational questionnaire is required. If you provide an unofficial transcript at the time of application and you are selected, you will be asked for official versions prior to appointment. See: Transcripts and Licenses

3. Other supporting documents:

• Cover Letter, optional
• Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
• Applicants claiming Veterans Preference or Military Spouse preference (MSP): to verify your preference claim you MUST submit supporting documents with your application package.
• If you are currently serving on active duty: You MUST submit a certification from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date you apply to this opportunity. If you supply a certification at this stage, your preference/eligibility will be verified prior to appointment. More information about Veteran's Preference is located on the Feds Hire Vets website. Please upload veteran's documents under the appropriate category.

NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

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