ATTACHMENT A

Pathways Internship Program: Compilation of Applicable Rules,

Regulations, and Authorities

Sources Complied By: Alexandra Landstrom

Intern Conversion: OPM Requirements

Conversion• Interns may be non-competitively

converted to a term, career-conditional or career appointment within 120 days following successful completion of all of their educational and work experience requirements in accordance with 5 CFR 362.204.

Intern Conversion: 5 CFR Requirements

§362.107(a) Subject to any limits on conversion imposed by the Director, and in accordance with the provisions of each Pathways Program, an agency may noncompetitively convert an eligible Pathways Participant to a term or permanent competitive service position.

(b) A Pathways Participant who is noncompetitively converted to a competitive service term appointment may be subsequently converted noncompetitively to a permanent competitive service position.

(c) Noncompetitive conversion. An Intern may be converted to a position within the employing agency or any other agency within the Federal Government.

(d) The provisions of the career transition assistance programs in subparts B, F and G of part 330 of this chapter do not apply to conversions made under this part.

(e) Time spent serving as a Pathways Participant counts towards career tenure when the individual is noncompetitively converted to a permanent position in the competitive service upon completion of the Program, with or without an intervening term appointment, and without a break in service of one day.

(f) Though Pathways Participants are eligible for noncompetitive conversion to the competitive service upon successful completion of their Program and any other applicable conversion requirements, service in a Pathways Program confers no right to further employment in either the competitive or excepted service. An agency wishing to convert a Pathways Participant must therefore execute the required actions to do so.

§362.204(a) An agency may noncompetitively convert an Intern who is a U.S. citizen, to a term or permanent appointment in the competitive service.

(b) To be eligible for conversion, the Intern must have:

(1) Completed at least 640 hours of work experience acquired through the Internship Program, except as provided in paragraphs c and d of this section, while enrolled as a full-time or part-time, degree- or certificate-seeking student;

(2) Completed a course of academic study, within the 120-day period preceding the appointment, at a qualifying educational institution conferring a diploma, certificate, or degree;

(3) Received a favorable recommendation for appointment by an official of the agency or agencies in which the Intern served;

(4) Met the qualification standards for the position to which the Intern will be converted; and

(5) Met agency-specific requirements as specified in the agency's Participant Agreement with the Intern.

Intern Conversion: 5 CFR Requirements (cont.)

Intern Conversion to 201 Series: OPM Requirements

GRADE EDUCATION GENERAL EXPERIENCE SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE

GS-5 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree

3 years, 1 year of which was equivalent to at least GS-4 None

GS-71 full year of graduate level education

orsuperior academic achievement

None 1 year equivalent to at least GS-5

GS-9

master's or equivalent graduate degree or2 full years of progressively higher level

graduate education leading to such a degree or

LL.B. or J.D., if related

None 1 year equivalent to at least GS-7

GS-11

Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or

3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a

degree or

LL.M., if related

None 1 year equivalent to at least GS-9

GS-12 &above None None 1 year equivalent to at least next lower

grade level

NOTE: Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for all grade levels for which both education and experience are acceptable.

Education and experience requirementsThe following table shows the amounts of education and/or experience required to qualify for positions covered by this standard.

Specialized Experience:OPM & CBO WFM Requirements

Per OPM: Specialized Experience- Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Applicants who have the 1 year of appropriate specialized experience, as indicated in the table, are not required by this standard to have general experience, education above the high school level, or any additional specialized experience to meet the minimum qualification requirements.

Per WFM: Specialized Experience GS-11 level (HR Specialist)- Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-09) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to:

• Work that involves providing guidance and consultation to agencies, employees, former employees, annuitants, survivors, and eligible family members regarding retirement, insurance, health benefits, and injury compensation

• Knowledge of quality assurance/control methods, principles, and practices governing Human Resources programs.

• Work that involves analyzing, interpreting, developing, and/or implementing laws, regulations, policies, and/or guidance involving HR subject matter areas.

• Work that involves assisting managers and supervisors in establishing, maintaining, and monitoring effective HR performance management programs to plan, monitor, develop, and rate.

Intern Promotion: 5 CFR & OPM Requirements

Per 5 CFR:• (e) Promotion- An agency may promote any Intern who meets

the qualification requirements for the position. This provision does not confer entitlement to promotion. [Note- The “qualification requirements for the position” refers to the

Pathways position that the intern is currently serving under.]

Per OPM:• The advancement of Interns to higher-graded positions, prior

to conversion, is strictly at the agency's discretion.• To qualify for promotions, the Interns must have the same

level and type of experience and/or education usually required for an initial appointment. [Note- An “initial appointment” refers to the initial appointment in the

Pathways position that the intern is currently serving under (i.e. the qualifications an intern must meet to be initially hired on as a HR Student Trainee/Pathways Intern at the GS-7 level, as opposed to the GS-5).]

Pathways Rules & Regulations: OPM Clarifications on 5 CFR

Qualifications (§362.203(c))

Another agency asked OPM to

modify the regulations to include a

provision allowing agencies to

develop their own qualification

requirements for the competitive

service position to which an Intern

converts. We are not adopting this

suggestion because the OPM

Qualification Standards apply when

filling any competitive service position

and agencies are responsible for the

training and development of Interns.

Pathways Participants who meet

the OPM Qualification Standard for

a particular position are eligible for

conversion.

Classification (§362.203(f))

Using the -99 series for one and

two grade interval positions affords

agencies the greatest amount of

flexibility when hiring individuals

into developmental type programs.

Because these individuals are

‘‘trainees’’ they are not restricted

to the types of work that is

normally associated with a

specific series. In addition, an

entire job family (e.g., 300) of

positions will be available at the

time of conversion based on the

individual’s qualifications and the

agency’s needs.

Internship Program(§362, Subpart B)

It is consistent with the

Internship Program to allow

agencies lacking a permanent

position related to the Intern’s field

of study and Intern work

experience to convert high

performing Interns to another

career field for which the Intern

qualifies. Additionally, time

spent on the Internship

appointment qualifies as work

experience for purposes of

evaluating an Intern’s

qualifications for a particular

position.

Links to All Sources

• Slide 2/3:http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=Group-Standards (located under Pathways Internship Positions)

• Slide 4: 362.204- http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=d7f76de55ccccc8efb95cf786d3f1d4c&node=5:1.0.1.2.56.2.18.4&rgn=div8

362.107- http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=d7f76de55ccccc8efb95cf786d3f1d4c&node=5:1.0.1.2.56.1.18.7&rgn=div8

• Slide 5:http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=Group-Standards (located under Administrative and Management Positions)

• Slide 6: WFM- https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/349866900

OPM- http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=Group-Standards (located under Administrative and Management Positions)

• Slide 7:5 CFR- https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/349866900

OPM- http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=Group-Standards (located under Pathways Internship Positions)

• Slide 8:Federal Register/ Vol.77, No. 92/ 2012/ Rules and Regulations/ OPM