Recruiting and Hiring Students and Recent Graduates

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORBUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENTWASHINGTON, D.C. 20240http://www.blm.govFebruary 7, 2011In Reply Refer To:1400-213 (710) PEMS TRANSMISSION 02/11/2011Information Bulletin No. 2011-027To:                   All Washington Office, State and Center OfficialsFrom:               Assistant Director, Human Capital ManagementSubject:           Executive Order 13562 Recruiting and Hiring Students and Recent GraduatesOn December 27, 2010, President Obama signed Executive Order 13562, Recruiting and Hiring Students and Recent Graduates (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/12/27/executive-order-recruiting-and-hiring-students-and-recent-graduates).  The purpose of this order is to establish a comprehensive structure to help the Federal government be more competitive in recruiting and hiring talented individuals who are in school or who have recently received a degree.   This new structure will include programs that provide non-competitive conversion eligibility to participants and will be used in targeted ways to develop talent for civil service careers.The Executive Order directs the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to consolidate student and recent graduate programs into a new framework with three clear program paths that are tailored to recruit, train and retain well-qualified candidates:

• Internship Program – A new internship program will be created that is targeted towards students enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions.

• Recent Graduates Program – This program will target recent graduates of trade and vocational schools, community colleges, universities, and other qualifying institutions.  To be eligible, applicants will be placed in a two-year career development program with a cohort of peers during a period aligned with the academic calendar.  After successfully completing the program, participants will be considered for non-competitive conversions to career-conditional and career positions.

• Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program – The PMF program continues to be the Federal government’s premier leadership development program for advanced degree candidates.  The Executive Order expands the eligibility window for applicants, making it more student friendly and aligning it with the academic calendar.  It also directs the OPM to set qualification standards, and to make changes needed to make the PMF experience more robust and substantive.

Effective March 1, 2011, the Executive Order also eliminates the Federal Career Intern Program (FCIP).  No further appointments can be made under FCIP and neither the Department of the Interior nor the OPM are granted the discretion to make exceptions.  By the terms of the Order, the new programs will become effective following an opportunity for public comment.  Nonetheless, there are several issues that State/Center and Washington Offices should pay attention to now.  This guidance is intended to assist you in addressing those issues.Status of current FCIP EmployeesExecutive Order 13562 revokes the FCIP and directs, effective March 1, 2011, that all FCIP incumbents must be converted to career-conditional or career positions in the competitive service.

• Incumbents who have completed their 2-year service requirement under FCIP prior to March 1, 2011 may be converted in accordance with currently established rules and procedures.
• FCIP incumbents who have not completed their 2-year service requirement, prior to March 1, 2011, but will have completed one-year of continuous Federal service will be converted into the competitive service, and will have statutory appeal rights.
• FCIP incumbents who have completed less than one-year of continuous Federal service will be converted to the competitive service effective March 1, 2011, but will continue to be in a probationary period until they have completed one-year of continuous Federal service.  Until the probationary period is completed, these employees do not have statutory appeal rights.

State/Center and Washington Office managers, supervisors, and Human Resources (HR) Offices are advised to review their current employee rosters to ensure that all FCIP employees remaining on agency rolls as of March 1, 2011, are employees they intend to convert to career-conditional or career positions in the competitive service.If you have specific questions concerning this Information Bulletin, please contact Ms. Delores Everett, Chief, HR Policy and Programs, at 202-254-3301 or your servicing HR Office.Signed by:                                                       Authenticated by:Carole Carter-Pfisterer                                    Robert M. WilliamsAssistant Director                                           Division of IRM Governance,WO-560Human Capital Management