Student Educational Employment Program

The Federal Government benefits from a diverse workforce that includes students and recent graduates. The competitive hiring process for the Federal civil service is structured in a manner that favors job applicants who have significant previous work experience for entry level positions. That factor and the complexity of the rules governing admission creates a barrier to recruiting and hiring students and recent graduates and places the Federal Government at a competitive disadvantage compared to private-sector employers when it comes to hiring from that segment for entry-level positions. In Executive Order 13562 the President established or refined ground rules for several excepted service authorities in order to offer clear paths to internships and potential civil service careers for students and recent graduates, to establish meaningful developmental programs, and to provide a means by which students and recent graduates may be evaluated on the job.