Resource Assistant Internship Direct Hire Program

DOI Secretarial Direct Hire Authority for Resource Assistant Internship Program

• The DOI Direct Hiring Authority for Resource Assistant Internship (DHA-RAI) Program is a direct hiring initiative that challenges the BLM to develop an 11-week rigorous summer internship program for current college students, with particular attention to internships in career fields necessary to the effective management of public lands and resources.   

• The BLM DHA-RAI Program solicits project proposals bureau wide; these proposals are reviewed and rated by a diverse panel of agency officials.  It is the responsibility of the Bureau to confirm that each direct hire authority internship program meets the definition as a rigorous summer internship program.  A rigorous internship program must meet the following criteria: (a) have a clearly defined deliverable or work product with clear expectations and outcomes, (experience-based internships, such as job shadowing, are not sufficient); (b) include a minimum of 11 weeks of full time work; (c) focus on critical thinking and real-world problem solving; (d) provide presentations on findings to key decision makers; and (e) address certification of high performance in the internship from the internship project coordinator/supervisor.  

• The DHA-RAI Program gives the BLM the opportunity to bring new talent to the agency while working on specific projects to accomplish the mission and support the needs of local and rural economies. This program is implemented through Public Lands Corps goals and not intended to circumvent the BLM Pathways Programs for Students and Recent Graduates. Current federal employees and participants of the BLM Pathways Programs for Students and Recent Graduates are not eligible for the BLM DHA-RAI Program. 

• The BLM DHA-RAI Program works through designated youth program partner organizations, which are tasked with recruiting and managing candidates. Partner organizations contribute to the expenses of providing and supporting the Resource Assistant internships, through private sources of funding, at a level equal to 25 percent of the total costs of each participant in the program who has been recruited and placed through that organization. Interns hired through a partner organization will not be Federal Government employees, but if hired non-competitively after the successful completion of their internship will be hired into career conditional appointments as a Federal Government employee. 

• The BLM DHA-RAI Program partners with the following organizations: American Conservation Experience, Great Basin Institute, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, Student Conservation Association, and University of Alaska Anchorage. Students interested in participating in a BLM Resource Assistant Internship should contact these partner organizations to learn more about the available projects and how to apply.

• With successful completion of the rigorous internship program, along with their conferred degree, BLM DHA-RAI Program participants that meet Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards may be directly appointed without competition to a full time, permanent position vacancy.  

For additional information about the DHA-RAI Program, contact the National Program Manager at BLM_DHA@blm.gov or reference DOI Personnel Bulletin 21-08 .

Check out photos and stories from our summer interns on @mypubliclands Flickr.