Student Trainee (Rangeland Management) - Natural Resources Conservation Service

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards. Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. If education is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of your transcripts. Program Eligibility Requirements Applicant must meet the definition of a student that is: Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an accredited technical or vocational school, two-year or four-year college or university, graduate or professional school. You must be taking at least a half-time academic course load leading to a degree or certificate. A certificate program is defined as a post-secondary education, in a qualifying educational institution, equivalent to at least one academic year of full-time study that is part of an accredited college-level, technical, trade, vocational, or business school curriculum. Be planning for or pursuing a certificate or degree in, or related to, the internship opportunity being advertised. Examples of relevant educational fields for this position include but are not limited to: Rangeland Management, Range Ecology, Wildland Restoration, Animal Science, Wildlife Management, Environment Science, Natural Resources, or other natural resource-related disciplines that will allow applicants to qualify for the conversion requirements listed within the vacancy announcement upon graduation. Position Qualifications: Applicants must meet position qualifications requirements as shown below at the time of appointment. The agency must be able to verify that the education was completed successfully before the applicant can be appointed. Below is the education requirement to be qualified for this position: GS-02 Completion of high school or possession of a GED diploma. GS-03 Completion of 1 full academic year of post-high school study. GS-04 Completion of 2 full academic years of post-high school study. One full academic year of undergraduate education is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours or the equivalent as defined by the accredited college or university. One full academic year of graduate education is defined as 18 semester hours or the equivalent as defined by the accredited college or university. Conversion Information: Candidates selected from this announcement may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to a permanent position in the competitive service, provided that all terms of the Internship Program are met and there is an available position. Conversion is not mandatory or guaranteed and is at agency discretion. Pathways Interns may convert to a permanent position for which they qualify for (e.g., GS-0454) as outlined in the intern's Pathways agreement. Upon conversion to the competitive service, this position will have a career ladder up to the GS-09 full performance level. To be eligible for conversion, you must satisfactorily complete all Pathways Program requirements: Complete at least 480 hours of work experience prior to graduation; Complete all mandatory training requirements; Meet performance expectations and be recommended for conversion; Meet suitability requirements; and Meet the position's Qualification Requirements of the associated occupational series as outlined in the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, General Schedule Qualifications Standards. See the link below: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0400/rangeland-management-series-0454/ GS-0454 Basic Requirement: Degree: range management; or a related discipline that included at least 42 semester hours in a combination of the plant, animal, and soil sciences, and natural resources management, as follows: Range Management -- At least 18 semester hours of course work in range management, including courses in such areas as basic principles of range management, range plants, range ecology, range inventories and studies, range improvements, and ranch or rangeland planning. Directly Related Plant, Animal, and Soil Sciences -- At least 15 semester hours of directly related courses in the plant, animal, and soil sciences, including at least one course in each of these three scientific areas, i.e., plant, animal, and soil sciences. Courses in such areas as plant taxonomy, plant physiology, plant ecology, animal nutrition, livestock production, and soil morphology or soil classification are acceptable. Related Resource Management Studies -- At least 9 semester hours of course work in related resource management subjects, including courses in such areas as wildlife management, watershed management, natural resource or agricultural economics, forestry, agronomy, forages, and outdoor recreation management. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work