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Location Consideration: When selecting locations to be considered for, please select only those locations that you will report to no later than June 2017 to begin the internship. Depending on budget, NRCS may authorize a one-time gross housing stipend for the summer if the location selected for is outside the local commuting area of your temporary or permanent address, AND may also provide reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses necessary to get to and from duty station at the end of the work period (summer). Availability and the gross amount will vary by location. The salary for each location may vary depending on locality. Locality tables may be found at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/.
Candidates selected from this announcement may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to a term or permanent position in the competitive service provided that all terms of the Internship Program are met and there is an available position. Conversion is not mandatory or guaranteed and is at the discretion of the agency.
Pathways Interns may convert to permanent positions in the same line of work they were initially appointed to (Soil Conservationist, GS-0457-5/7/9). To be eligible for the conversion, you must satisfactorily complete all Pathways Program requirements: complete at least 640 hours of work experience prior to graduation, and if applicable, meet the position’s positive education requirements at graduation. The education requirements that must be met for conversion from this position:
• 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.
Or
• Combination of Education and Experience at least 30 semester hours in one or more of the disciplines as shown in above, including at least 12 semester hours in a combination of soils and crops or plant science, plus appropriate experience or additional education. 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.
03/23/2017 to 04/03/2017
$14.07 - $18.28 per hour
GS 04
Occasional travel - As required to perform the duties of the position and complete the requirements of the Pathways Program.
No
Internships
Multiple Schedules
04
No
NRCS-17-0590-PW-MG
466455800
As a Student Trainee (Soil Conservation), you will be performing the following duties under direct supervision; Assignments will be developmental in nature and will assist the employee gain the competencies necessary for a career:
If selected for this Internship, the applicant will be required to complete the following:
Pathways Requirements:
• Be enrolled at least half-time at a qualifying educational institution.
• Maintain good academic standing as defined by the educational institution for the duration of the internship.
• Sign a Pathways Participant Agreement.
Employment Requirements:
• Entrance on duty is contingent upon completion of a pre-employment security investigation. The position may require a background investigation at the time of appointment, and may be subject to reinvestigation every five years thereafter. A favorable adjudication of the background investigation at the time of appointment and on reinvestigations is a condition of employment.
• If you are newly hired, the documentation you present for purposes of completing the Department Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 on your entry-on-duty date will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" system. Federal law requires the use of E-VERIFY to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires. Under this system, the new hire is required to resolve any identified discrepancies as a condition of continued employment.
• Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license as a condition of employment.
Below is the education requirement to be qualified at the following grade levels:
GS-4 - Completion of 2 full academic years of post-high school study.
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.
Degree programs in environmental, natural resources and related sciences preferred.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Applicants must, therefore, only report attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation via this link. All education claimed by applicants will be verified accordingly. Important: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. Click on this link for more information.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Application materials received by the closing date will be used to determine whether you meet eligibility criteria for Pathways Internship Program and the extent to which your responses to the Questionnaire satisfy the requirements.
All applicants who meet basic eligibility and qualification requirements will be referred to the selection official in veteran’s preference order. Preference will be given to applicants claiming veteran’s preference based on the supporting documents submitted.
Attempts to falsify information; inflate your qualifications or providing inaccurate information on federal documents may be grounds for disqualification. If selected providing inaccurate information on federal documents could also be grounds for dismissing you from the position/agency. Please review and follow all instructions carefully.
To view the application form, visit: https://nrcs.usda.ntis.gov/cp/?event=jobs.previewApplication&jobid=801D3C3E-09D8-4675-B04D-A73F00C25C1A
The following documents are required for your application to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in mail service, your system failure or downtime, etc. Encrypted and digitally signed documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
In the form of letters, records, or statements issued from a high school, vocational institution, college or university. The documentation provided must be issued from an authorized source (example: university registrar’s office). AND/OR
A copy of your most recent transcripts which show your field of study, school name, students name, current GPA or academic standing, past and current course work, degree program, and major/concentration. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if selected, an official college transcript will be required prior to entering on duty.
Veterans: If claiming veteran’s preference, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. Veteran’s preference must be verified prior to appointment. Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran’s preference and your application will be evaluated based on the material(s) submitted.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.
To begin, click "Apply Online" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.
NOTE: You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g., all SF-50s) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 3MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.
Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account at https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login to check your application status. We expect to make a final job offer approximately 40 days after the deadline for applications.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/466455800. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) helps America’s farmers and ranchers conserve the Nation’s soil, water, air and other natural resources. We need people who want to apply their education and experience to make sure we all enjoy the benefits of productive soil, clean water, clean air, and abundant wildlife that come from a healthy environment. “Helping People Help the Land” http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/
The Pathways Internship Program is for current diploma/certificate/degree-seeking students and is designed to attract students enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions with paid opportunities to work in USDA/NRCS and explore Federal careers while still in school. This program exposes students to jobs in the Federal civil service by providing meaningful developmental work while completing their academic requirements. For more information on the Pathways Internship, please visit https://www.usajobs.gov/StudentsAndGrads.
This position is temporary and has a Not-to-Exceed date of September 30, 2017. However, an extension of the appointment may be possible without further competition. The appointment may also end early due to lack of work or funds.
