Federal Manager's Daily Report

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Federal agencies can use internships to enhance their hiring of persons who do not have a four-year college degree—as advocated by a Trump administration policy that the Biden administration is continuing—says a blog posting by the Partnership for Public Service.

“Job seekers without four-year degrees often do not know what people in government do on a day-to-day basis. As a result, they remain largely unaware of federal job opportunities and the benefits they offer,” it says.

“Internships can help job seekers better understand what federal work entails and provide a pathway to a government career . . . Offering more accessible internships will enable the federal government to increase the likelihood that job seekers will consider civil service careers in the future.”

The Biden administration recently committed to reinvigorating internship programs, which overall have been in decline in recent years, while stressing paid over unpaid internships—on grounds that unpaid internships put at a disadvantage potential candidates who could not afford to work without income.

Federal agencies should offer more paid internships, “especially in regional offices or with a remote option to encourage accessibility,” the posting says.

It also recommends that hiring managers: “work with representatives from community colleges and workforce development boards to demystify the federal hiring process for those lacking a four-year degree”; and “evaluate applicants using skills-based assessments to reduce bias for applicants with higher education degrees.”

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