Department of Labor Internship Programs: Opportunities for Students and Recent Graduates
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and affiliated agencies offer various internship programs designed to provide students and recent graduates with valuable experience in public service. These programs cater to diverse academic backgrounds and career interests, offering pathways to potential federal careers.
Pathways Internship Program
The Department of Labor (DOL) is seeking bright, innovative, and results-oriented individuals to join our Pathways Internship Program. As an Intern, you will have the opportunity to gain valuable on-the-job training and experience related to your field while pursuing your education. The Pathway Internship Program replaces STEP/SCEP.
Eligibility:
Ideal candidates for DOL internships are individuals pursuing undergraduate or graduate degree programs in various fields (e.g. business administration, management, economics, public policy, political science, international relations studies, accounting, financial management, medical, information technology/information systems, human resource management, pre-law and law.) Candidates will be considered on the basis of the applicability of their education and experience.
Program Details:
- Internship can be seasonal (spring, summer, fall or year round).
- Interns may work full-time or part-time schedules.
- At the successful conclusion of this program, you may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to a Federal career or career conditional position.
Recent Graduates Program
The Recent Graduates Program provides developmental experiences in the Federal Government. It is intended to promote possible careers in the civil service to individuals who, within the previous two years, graduated from qualifying educational institutions with an associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree as well as certificate from qualifying educational institutions. To be eligible, applicants must apply within the previous two years of degree or certificate completion except for veterans precluded from doing so due to their military service obligation, who will have up to six years after degree or certificate completion to apply. Exclusive job postings are stored within USAJobs but do not appear in USAJobs searches.
Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP)
The Workforce Recruitment Program connects public and private sector employers with highly motivated college students and recent graduates with disabilities who are eager to show their abilities in the workforce. DOL may use WRP to fill temporary and full-time positions in a variety of fields. If you are interested, inquire with your school's disability services or career services coordinator. For more information, visit the Office of Disability Employment Policy Workforce Recruitment Program.
Read also: The CPB Logo: A Visual History
Student Volunteer Program
The Department of Labor (DOL) has a student volunteer program that offers students an opportunity to experience and support our important mission to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.
Program Details:
- The programs are generally 8 to 10 weeks, and the work schedules are flexible.
- The program exposes students to DOL leadership and other officials.
- Participating student volunteers must receive course credit, credit towards graduation, or financial aid 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.
- Positions may be full or part time, and in a variety of fields.
Ideal candidates for DOL student volunteers are individuals pursuing undergraduate or graduate degree programs in various fields.
Post-Secondary Student Hiring Authority
The Post-Secondary Student hiring authority is for students currently enrolled in a degree-seeking program at a four-year college/university or graduate school. This authority allows an agency to non-competitively appoint a post-secondary student who is enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an institution of higher education and pursuing a baccalaureate or graduate degree on at least a part-time basis to a temporary or term position at or below the GS-11 level. Appointments made under this hiring authority may convert a post-secondary student to a permanent appointment in the competitive service, within that same agency, without further competition if the student has completed the course of study leading to a baccalaureate or graduate degree and meets the qualification standards for the position to which converted.
College Graduate Hiring Authority
The College Graduate hiring authority is for recent college and graduate students who completed their degrees within the past two years.
Hele Imua Internship Program (Hawai’i)
The Hawai’i State Department of Labor & Industrial Relations (DLIR) Workforce Development Division (WDD) administers Hele Imua, a paid internship program available to the community. It is a 12-week internship opportunity for the State of Hawai’i. The purpose of this program is to provide eligible candidates exposure to various high-demand occupations in state government that may transition into gainful employment within Hawaii’s labor market. Focus is on recent high school and college graduates who need work experience to meet position requirements.
Read also: U.S. Department of Energy Internship Requirements
DLIR WDD in collaboration with the Counties seeks to partner with state departments and divisions and other employers that can offer real on-the-job work experience, training, and supervision for selected interns. Interns may conduct duties that are the same or similar to those of your current employees.
Department of State Student Internship Program
The Student Internship Program will release updates about future program cycles in the coming months. This is a paid internship with the opportunity to work in various bureaus located in Washington, D.C. and at Department offices around the United States. Department of State Student Internship Program opportunities are offered at the bureau level in Washington D.C. Students can work in one of the many offices which make up the respective geographic or functional bureaus.
Bureau Types:
- Geographic Bureaus: Oversee policies for a given region of the world.
- Functional Bureaus: Focus on specific issues and are responsible for policy areas which affect all regions and countries. These bureaus include the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL), International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), International Organization Affairs (IO), Political-Military Affairs (PM), and Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES).
Eligibility Requirements:
- Students must be returning to school immediately following the internship in order to qualify for the program.
- You are eligible to apply for this program if you have not yet completed your registration at a college or university for graduate or post-graduate studies (including law school) or are awaiting an admissions determination for graduate or post-graduate studies (including law school).
- Embassies and field offices throughout the world, as well as in various bureaus located in Washington, D.C.
Application Process:
- New USAJOBS users must create a USAJOBS account and build a resume using the USAJOBS Resume Builder. Applicants must create (not upload) a USAJOBS resume in order to move forward to the actual application.
- Once a profile has been created and a resume built, they can click the "Apply Online" button on the right-hand side of the vacancy announcement. After this, applicants will be taken to another screen to identify and highlight their resume to certify that the information submitted is true and made in good faith.
- Applicants must provide proof of student status in the form of an official or unofficial transcript. The transcripts must be attached to the submitted application. If using official transcripts, applicants must attach them to their application per the instructions provided in the application. The application offers candidates two methods to attach their transcript to their application: by fax or by upload. Applicants are strongly encouraged to upload their transcript to their application.
- Once applicants have started an application, they can access and edit that application at any time up to the closing of the vacancy announcement.
Selection Process:
- The SIP Selection Committee reviews and selects finalists, including providing recommendations for host bureau placement.
- Selectees (finalists and alternate selectees) are initiated in the security clearance process by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS). DS Clearance Coordinators will assist selectees on their security clearance application.
- Once finalist selectees are granted a security clearance, the SIP team extends the cleared student a final offer letter to include their assigned host bureau. In the event that a finalist selectee does not receive a security clearance or declines their offer, a waitlisted student (i.e.
Security Clearance:
Students tentatively selected for the internship program must undergo a background investigation and receive either a Public Trust, Secret or Top Secret security clearance. The clearance process can take up to 150 days to complete from the time the forms are received by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS). Investigations may take substantially longer if students have had extensive travel, education, residence and/or employment overseas. These issues could include a current or past history of drugs or alcohol abuse, as well as a recent history of credit problems. Further information regarding issues of dual citizenship and foreign influence is available. Although these problems will not necessarily preclude students from receiving a security clearance, they will lengthen the time required to complete the clearance process. The appropriate security forms needed to complete the application for security clearance will be included with your notification of acceptance. When you receive information to proceed with your security clearance application, please complete, sign, and return all materials by the date indicated.
Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program
For more than three decades, the Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) program has been the federal government's premier leadership development program for advanced degree (e.g., masters or professional degree) candidates.
Benefits of Internships
Whether you are still in school or just starting out in your career, we have many opportunities for you to make a meaningful difference while building your skills. An internship with the Department of State, for example, would give you a coveted inside look at diplomacy in action, and the range of careers and responsibilities found in the Foreign Service and Civil Service. You'll gain valuable work experience that you can apply to virtually every endeavor - whether you work in government or the private sector.
Read also: Navigating Florida Teacher Certification
Compensation and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
The FLSA requires “for-profit” employers to pay employees for their work. Courts have used the “primary beneficiary test” to determine whether an intern or student is, in fact, an employee under the FLSA. In short, this test allows courts to examine the “economic reality” of the intern-employer relationship to determine which party is the “primary beneficiary” of the relationship. The extent to which the intern and the employer clearly understand that there is no expectation of compensation. Courts have described the “primary beneficiary test” as a flexible test, and no single factor is determinative. If analysis of these circumstances reveals that an intern or student is actually an employee, then he or she is entitled to both minimum wage and overtime pay under the FLSA.
The FLSA exempts certain people who volunteer to perform services for a state or local government agency or who volunteer for humanitarian purposes for non-profit food banks. WHD also recognizes an exception for individuals who volunteer their time, freely and without anticipation of compensation, for religious, charitable, civic, or humanitarian purposes to non-profit organizations.
Finding Opportunities
If you do not see a program listed that matches your skills, interests, or timeframe, please visit USAJOBS (the federal government's official job site), for additional entry-level and student job opportunities. You can also review the Federal Occupations by College Major and How to Turn Your Education and Experience into a Career with DOL to help you determine what Federal Occupations correlate to your education. You can also find your federal career fit by taking the USAJOBS Career Explorer quiz. Whatever your interest, there's an opportunity at the Department of Labor for you.
tags: #department #of #labor #internship #programs
