Recruiting and Hiring Students and Recent Graduates

This executive order establishes the Pathways Programs to help federal agencies recruit and hire students and recent graduates by creating exceptions to competitive hiring rules. It creates three programs—Internship, Recent Graduates, and Presidential Management Fellows—under a new Schedule D excepted service category, while revoking several predecessor programs.

Federal Register Open PDF 75 FR 82585

Impact dates

Date TBD
EO 12015 (Student Career Experience Program) superseded and revoked upon effective date of final OPM regulations implementing Internship Program
Date TBD
EO 13318 (PMF Program) superseded and revoked upon effective date of final OPM regulations implementing PMF changes
Mar 1, 2011
EO 13162 (Federal Career Intern Program) superseded and revoked; incumbents converted to competitive service
Feb 10, 2011
Agencies designate Pathways Programs Officer

Key directives

Establish Internship Program replacing Student Career Experience Program
Establish Recent Graduates Program for individuals who graduated within 2 years (6 years for eligible veterans)
Modify Presidential Management Fellows Program
Create Schedule D excepted service for Pathways positions
Agencies must designate Pathways Programs Officer within 45 days
OPM must issue implementing regulations
OPM may establish government-wide cap on noncompetitive conversions
OPM to consider proposed rule to eliminate Student Temporary Employment Program
Revoke EO 13162 effective March 1, 2011
Revoke EO 12015 upon final Internship Program regulations
Revoke EO 13318 upon final PMF Program regulations

Who is ordered

OPM Director · OPM

Timeline

Immediate

EO 13162 (Federal Career Intern Program) revoked effective March 1, 2011
Agencies must designate Pathways Programs Officer within 45 days

Near term (90d)

OPM must issue implementing regulations for Pathways Programs
Agency Pathways Officers designated and reporting to OPM

Long term

Student Career Experience Program (EO 12015) revoked upon final OPM regulations
PMF Program changes effective upon final OPM regulations
Potential elimination of Student Temporary Employment Program via rulemaking

Risks & tensions

Potential tension between 'merit-based procedures' and excepted service exemptions from competitive hiring rules
Risk of Pathways Programs substituting for rather than supplementing competitive hiring if OPM oversight is weak (text explicitly flags this concern)
Vague timeline for final OPM regulations leaves transition period uncertain
Noncompetitive conversion pathway could raise equity concerns despite veterans' preference requirements
Annual or as-needed review of conversion caps provides flexibility but limited predictability