Kelley Urges Federal Recruitment Reform

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NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley condemned the widespread use of the Federal Career Intern Program (FCIP) before a key Senate committee, saying the program narrows the applicant pool and creates a perception of unfair and arbitrary treatment. According to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), between 2001 and 2004, competitive examining was used for only 29 percent of total federal hires.

In testimony before the Senate Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia, Kelley pointed to the FCIP as a prime example of how the agencies are departing from carefully-designed and statutorily-mandated competitive examination and selection requirements for federal civil service.

The NTEU leader said one of the most efficient ways to quickly upgrade government recruitment methods would be to scale back the FCIP.

“Far from being a limited special-focus hiring tool, aimed at providing structured, two-year training and development ‘internships,’ FCIP is now the tool of choice to circumvent fair hiring practices,” President Kelley said. “Vacancy announcements do not have to be posted, veterans’ preference rights are diminished, and agencies have discretion to make selection decisions without following rating and ranking processes or merit promotion plans,” she said.

She noted that U.S. Customs and Border Protection has used it to fill all entry-level officer positions, and other agencies, like the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, employ the program to fill many entry-level openings. More