OPM Updates Pathways Programs; New Focus is on Skills, Shorter Trial Period
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a final rule in the Federal Register updating the Pathways Programs, one of the federal government’s cornerstone efforts to attract younger workers and early career talent into the federal workforce.
OPM calls it “one of the most significant actions the federal government has taken since the program’s inception 14 years ago.”
The regulations go into effect June 11, 2024.
The Pathways Programs provide three separate programs to attract new talent: internships, programs for recent graduates, and the Presidential Management Fellows (PMF), a training and development program for advanced degree holders.
As OPM notes, the initial Pathways regulations were issued in 2012, and that since then “new generations have entered the workforce with different skillsets and interests, hiring and educational trends have changed, and agencies have learned more about how the programs can better support their talent needs. “
The changes include:
· Opening eligibility for the Pathways Internship and Recent Graduates Programs to people without formal college degrees who have completed “qualifying career or technical education programs” such as the Registered Apprenticeship Programs, Job Corps, AmeriCorps, and Peace Corps.
· Allowing interns who complete Registered Apprenticeship Programs and Job Corps to count time served toward the total hours required to convert to a permanent Federal position.
· Cuts the time needed before agencies can convert an intern into a permanent employee from 640 hours to 480 internship hours. Agencies also have more options for issuing waivers to “outstanding” interns, allowing them to be converted after just 320 hours.
· Allowing agencies to hire recent graduates at a GS-11 salary, up from GS-9.
· Giving agencies 180 days to convert interns into permanent positions, up from 120 days.
“Expanding these programs to include graduates from Job Corps and Registered Apprenticeship Programs advances the President’s commitment to a federal government that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve and enables agencies to reach a broader pool of talent – because equity and excellence go hand-in-hand,” said Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su.
OPM points out that the update to the Pathways guidance is just the latest in a string of actions to promote federal employment.
The agency has also issued interim regulations to provide direct hire authority for certain students and recent graduates, directed agencies to use skills-based assessments to evaluate talent instead of degree requirements or self-assessments, launched an Intern Portal on USAJOBs.gov, and created a centralized Intern Experience Program.
