The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), along with the Department of Labor and Office of Management and Budget (OMB), has launched a new portal on USAJOBS that serves as a one-stop shop for prospective Federal interns.
The Federal Internship Portal, located at intern.usajobs.gov, allows students to find and apply for internship opportunities across the Federal government.
“Federal internships offer a critical pathway into government and public service,” OPM Director Kiran Ahuja said in a press release. “No matter what your interests are, the Federal government offers opportunities in nearly every sector and every industry, from conservation, to housing policy, cybersecurity, and health care.”
“Hundreds of internships are already posted with more opportunities going live every week,” she added. “A Federal internship is a great way to start your career in public service and make an impact in your community.”
The new portal comes after OPM encouraged agencies in a memo last month to expand their intern and other early-career ranks as one way to help grow the Federal workforce with new and younger talent.
The memo says that the administration is targeting more than 35,000 intern appointments in fiscal year 2023.
Discussing the goals of the effort, OPM said those include:
- Increasing the availability of paid internships, fellowships, and apprenticeships;
- Improving hiring assessment processes; and
- Increasing recruiting activity, especially from underserved communities “so the Federal workforce draws on the richness and diversity of our country.”
OPM said last month’s guidance advances the goal of strengthening the Federal workforce as laid out in the Biden administration’s President Management Agenda (PMA) released in November 2021, as well as President Biden’s executive order on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce published in June 2021.
Additionally, OPM recently hosted a virtual Federal internship webinar for applicants to learn more about Federal internships and hear directly from a panel of former government interns and recent graduates. Participants learned how to use the Federal Internship Portal, submit their applications, and find answers to frequently asked questions.
“The new Federal Internship Portal and internship guidance are the latest tools deployed by OPM to expand opportunities for early career professionals and give Federal agencies more avenues to recruit talent for their teams,” OPM said in the press release. “The Federal government recognizes that the next generation is eager to make its mark, and there’s no better place to make an impact than the Federal government.”
