FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 16, 2011
Contact: Sarah Howe
showe@ourpublicservice.org
PARTNERSHIP FOR PUBLIC SERVICE RELEASES STATEMENT APPLAUDING CONNOLLY, BILBRAY, GILLIBRAND AND COLLINS
WASHINGTON – Partnership for Public Service President and CEO Max Stier released the following statement commending Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.), and Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) for championing language included in the National Defense Authorization Act that would promote greater use of federal internships:
"We applaud Reps. Connolly and Bilbray and Sens. Gillibrand and Collins for their bi-partisan leadership and ongoing commitment to building a first-class federal workforce.
Student internships provide a low-cost way for federal managers to assess the skills and aptitude of entry-level talent and to select those who are most capable and productive for permanent employment. The federal student internship provisions included in the National Defense Authorization Act approved by Congress will help agencies attract and hire talented young people, which will in turn help strengthen the federal public service.
During these times of budget constraints, it is more important than ever to get every hire right. This is a powerful step in that direction."
The legislation given final congressional approval on December 15 will require federal agencies to designate and make publicly available the name of an internship coordinator to ensure there is an individual at each agency in charge of and responsible for managing internship programs. The legislation also requires the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to provide links to this information on a central website and to make information about all federal internship programs widely available to the public.
In report language, Congress encouraged OPM to consider creating a database of federal interns so agencies can look to this pool of potential applicants for job openings. In addition, Congress suggested that all agencies regularly conduct exit interviews and surveys when interns leave so they will have data to help them improve their internship programs.
The Partnership made these and other recommendations to strengthen internship programs in a 2009 report, "Leaving Talent on the Table".
The new provisions come as OPM is preparing to launch the new Student Pathways Initiative in May that will consolidate several federal internship programs and make it easier for students who meet specific guidelines to be hired by federal agencies.
The Partnership for Public Service works to revitalize the federal government by inspiring a new generation to serve and by transforming the way government works. Visit ourpublicservice.org for more information.
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The Partnership for Public Service is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to revitalize our federal government by inspiring a new generation to serve and by transforming the way government works.
