INTRODUCTION The purpose of this guide is to point out some of the special employment programs available at the Small Business Administration nationwide. Many of these programs are effective recruitment tools. The Student Career Experience Program and the Presidential Management Intern Programs are useful in attracting and hiring individuals who will be trained for higher level positions. Other programs, such as the Upward Mobility and Professional Career Development Program, are useful in developing current employees to their fullest potential. Several of these programs, such as the Student Volunteer Program, do not require payment of salary and benefits by the Agency. Other programs only require that the Agency pay a percentage of an individual's salary and benefits. Such programs are helpful in times of reduced budgets. You are urged to review the programs available and to consider using them to the fullest extent possible. They are an excellent way to help you accomplish your mission. These programs are also ways you can recruit and consider for employment well-qualified minorities and women. Your servicing personnel office will be happy to help you in using these special employment programs. ADMINISTRATIVE CAREERS WITH AMERICA The Administrative Careers with America (ACWA) program, which is administered by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), covers most GS-5 and 7 two-grade interval positions. Some of the positions covered include: Writer-editor; Loan Specialist; Financial Analyst; Economic Development Specialist; Business Opportunity Specialist; and Paralegal Specialist. The Agency contacts OPM when there is a vacancy. OPM announces the posi- tion and provides a list of top candidates to the Agency. There are two special appointing authorities under the ACWA program which are excellent ways to hire qualified college graduates and other individuals quickly and easily. 1. Outstanding Scholar Provision Under this provision, college graduates who earned a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on the 4.0 scale for all undergraduate courses completed, or who were ranked in the upper 10 percent of their baccalaureate graduating class, may be appointed directly without competing with other candidates. 2. Bilingual/Bicultural Provision This provision allows for the appointment of an individual who meets the minimum qualifications for the position and who has the required level of Spanish language proficiency and/or requisite knowledge of Hispanic culture. The ap- pointment must be made to a position in which interaction with the public or job performance would be enhanced by bilingual and/or bicultural skills. COLLEGE FACULTY HIRING AUTHORITIES There are three hiring authorities available for the employment of college faculty members. They do not require eligibility with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). 1. Temporary Limited Appointments to Meet Special Needs These appointments may be made, without examination, to utilize the services of faculty members of accredited colleges or universities in positions of a scientific, professional, analytical, employee development or instructional nature. Appointments are for periods of up to one year. 2. Schedule A, 213.3102(o) This authority allows the hiring of faculty members of accredited colleges or universities who have special qualifications for positions of a scientific, professional or analytical nature. This authority is frequently used during the summer months and individuals appointed cannot work over 130 days per year. (Note: The temporary limited authority discussed above may not be used to extend the Schedule A authority.) 3. Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Individuals hired under IPA agreements with institutions of higher education may be brought on board (1) under a temporary appointment paid through the regular payroll process; or (2) by a reimbursable detail. If the latter process is used, the individual is paid by the college or university and reimbursed by SBA under a payment schedule. Position descriptions are required for all except the de- tailees, who will need a list of proposed duties as part of the agreement. COLLEGE WORK-STUDY PROGRAM This program operates under grants made by the Department of Education to colleges and universities. It is designed to provide part-time employment to students with demonstrated financial need who are enrolled or accepted for enrollment as full-time students. The provisions of this program are as follows: 1. A working agreement with the school is required. These are fairly standard and most participating schools have their own. 2. A list of duties should be developed in order to improve communication with the student. 3. Under the payment schedule, the school may pay as much as 80% of the salary from Department of Education funds. As grant monies become tighter due to budget austerity programs, this percentage may drop to as low as 60%. 4. Students are paid an hourly wage based on the demands of the job and the prevailing rate in the area. 5. Students may not work more than 20 hours per week during periods when classes are in session, but they may work up to 40 hours per week during vacation periods. There is no limitation on the type of work, e.g. clerical, paraprofessional, to be performed. Therefore, this would be negotiable between the Agency, student and the college or university. COMMUNITY WORK EXPERIENCE PROGRAM This program is designed to provide job training and work experience to recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children. Funding and administrative support for this program is provided by the Federal and State governments. All job projects developed under the College Work Experience Program must serve useful public purposes. DISABLED - PHYSICAL Physically disabled individuals may be appointed in the following ways: 1. Disabled individuals may be hired through the usual competitive procedures. They may also be given a temporary appointment not to exceed 700 hours. This appointment authority was established for those dis- abled individuals unable to obtain appointments through competitive procedures. No commitment for permanent employment is made. However, this appoint- ment is generally long enough for the severely dis- abled person to establish his or her job readiness. 2. Excepted Service -- This is a Schedule A appointment (213.3102(u)), temporary or permanent, which provides for modification of job tasks and work environment to accommodate the severely physically disabled. This appointment may be made in two ways: (a) Conversion of the proposed appointee's temporary 700- hour appointment to a Schedule A appointment. (b) Direct Schedule A appointment without a temporary trial appointment. The Schedule A appointment allows noncompetitive conversion to competitive status after two years of successful performance. JOBS, OPPORTUNITIES AND BASIC SKILLS PROGRAM The objective of the Jobs, Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) program is to help individuals with dependent children obtain the education, training and employment that will help them avoid long-term welfare dependence. Each state is responsible for designing its own JOBS program, which may include community work experience with Federal agencies. Check with your servicing personnel office to see if the JOBS programs in your area offer community work experience to participants. Individuals in community work experience programs are usually employed in clerical and support positions. JOB TRAINING PARTNERSHIP ACT The Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) provides on-the-job training and work experience for unemployed and underemployed individuals. The goal of the program is to train these individuals so that they may become self-sufficient through permanent, full-time employment. The JTPA operates under grants made to the states from the Department of Labor. The states, in turn, allocate monies to programs at the local level. A written agreement between officials at SBA and local program officials is required. The type of work performed is generally clerical or technical in nature. PART-TIME PERMANENT CAREER EMPLOYMENT The Part-Time Career Employment program was established by Public Law 95-437 to expand part-time career opportunities in competitive and excepted positions at grade levels up to GS-16, or equivalent. It was designed to provide the greatest benefit to older persons, the disabled, students, and persons with family responsibilities. This program is an excellent affirmative action tool as it provides opportunities to utilize many underrepresented groups. Part-time career employment is defined as regularly scheduled work of from 16 to 32 hours per week. Because of the clear intent of Congress to end the practice of employing part-timers for more than 32 hours per week, exceptions may not be made for 32-to-39-hour-per-week tours of duty. However, an employee's hours may be temporarily increased above 32 hours for limited periods to meet heavy workloads, permit employee training, etc. As positions become vacant, they should be reviewed by supervisors to determine the feasibility of their being occupied on a part-time basis. The fringe benefits for part-time career employees are basically the same as those for full-time. The exception is in the health benefits area. Enrollees in the health benefits program who are part-time career employees will receive a prorated share of the government's contribution based on a comparison of part-time hours worked against full-time hours. PRESIDENTIAL MANAGEMENT INTERN PROGRAM The purpose of this program is to attract outstanding individuals who are interested in a career in the analysis and management of public policies and programs. This is a two-year program which provides the opportunity for graduate students to apply for placement in Presidential Management Intern (PMI) positions at the GS-9 level after receiving their master's degrees. In some instances, the PMI appointment may be extended one additional year. Interns are exposed to a number of management areas and develop the skills and experience to qualify for targeted positions. This may be accomplished by job rotation, details and formal training. There is the possibility of promotion during the second year of the program to the GS-11 level and permanent noncompetitive conversion after graduation. Management Board members are contacted by the Office of Human Resources in April of each year to determine their interest in hiring PMIs for the following year. PROFESSIONAL CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM This competitive employment option allows a selecting official to consider applicants not otherwise qualified for a vacancy based on experience, but who have potential. The goal of this program is to provide current SBA employees the opportunity to broaden their experience and develop skills necessary to change career fields. Positions covered by the program are those which are properly classified at two-grade intervals. Trainees are selected competitively from among employees who are in the GS-5 through GS-15 levels. RETIRED SENIOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM This program is designed to offer adults age 60 and over a more meaningful retirement through volunteer service that is responsive to community needs. Funding for this program is provided by ACTION and the local community. RETURNED PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS Returned Peace Corps volunteers who have successfully completed a full term of service (2 years) may be appointed noncompetitively. The advantage of using this authority is the speed and ease with which an individual may be hired. The volunteer must be appointed within a year from the end of his or her volunteer service. All qualifications, as well as medical and investigative requirements, must be met. SENIOR COMMUNITY SERVICE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM This program was established to foster and promote part-time work opportunities for unemployed, low-income persons who are 55 years old or older. Participants in this program are paid through federal grants by the American Association of Retired Persons. STUDENT CAREER EXPERIENCE PROGRAM This program provides students with career-related employment which enriches their academic experience and allows them to gain valuable work experience in their career field. It covers students pursuing high school diplomas, GEDs, vocational or technical certificates, Associate degrees, Baccalaureate degrees, graduate degrees and professional degrees. Students may be appointed at any time during the year, including summer. Work schedules may be full-time or part-time as long as they do not interfere with the students' academic studies. When hiring students who alternate work and study periods, you may wish to consider an arrangement in which one student is scheduled for work periods while another is scheduled for study periods. This will enable you to have at least one student working at all times. Position descriptions are required for this program and evaluation procedures must be established. In the event of poor or marginal performance, the institution will work very closely with the supervisor. In addition, there is an agreement which must be signed and approved by officials at the SBA, the educational institution and the student. Students who successfully complete this program are eligible for non- competitive conversion to career-conditional appointments. However, since agencies cannot guarantee that permanent vacancies will exist at any given time in the future, the institutions are generally aware that not every student can be converted. It is, however, your responsibility as a supervisor to advise the student, in conjunction with the personnel office, that if a vacancy exists at the time of graduation, the student will be converted. If no vacancy is available which is suitable for conversion within 120 days after graduation, the student may be converted in a suitable position in another Federal agency or must be terminated. Except for veterans with one year of current continuous employment, termination can be accomplished with a simple letter of decision. Veterans must be given 30 days written notice. The minimum amount of career-related work experience to be performed in order to be eligible for non-competitive conversion to a career-conditional appointment is 640 hours. The number of hours can be negotiated upward by the Agency, student and educational institution as necessary and appropriate, depending on the career field/position. Work assignments must be related to the student's academic and career goals and should provide the experience which will qualify the student for conversion in the selected occupation. Conversion must be to a position which is related to the student's academic training and career-related work experience. STUDENT TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM This program offers students temporary employment to enable them to earn a salary while continuing their studies. It covers students pursuing high school diplomas, GEDs, vocational or technical certificates, Associate degrees, Baccalaureate degrees, graduate degrees and professional degrees. Students may be appointed at any time during the year, including summer. Work schedules may be full-time or part-time as long as they do not interfere with the students' academic studies. Appointments under this program may not exceed one year and may be extended in one-year increments as long as the individual meets the definition of a student. The nature of the student's duties does not have to be related to his or her academic studies Position descriptions are re- quired and minimum academic and job performance requirements for continuation in the program may also be established. Students appointed under this authority are not eligible for non-competitive conversion to career or career-conditional appointments. However, they may be converted to the Student Career Experience Program described above. Experience gained in the temporary employment program may be credited under the Student Career Experience Program, if it is related to academic and career goals. STUDENT VOLUNTEER SERVICE Agencies are authorized to accept, on behalf of the United States Government, student volunteer service. These students are not considered Federal employees but are covered by the Federal Employees Compensation Act and the Federal Tort Claims Act. A written agreement must be executed between SBA and the school. Students must be at least 16 years of age, and they may be in high school, trade school, junior college, college or other accredited education institutions. Student volunteers may work as research assistants, legal clerks or in other areas. SUMMER EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM This program provides students with the opportunity to become acquainted with the challenges and opportunities available in the Federal government. It can provide managers with temporary help to ease the impact of vacation schedules during the summer. Another advantage of the program is the development of a reservoir of potential candidates for future vacancies in shortage occupations. Individuals appointed under this program begin work after May 12th and may work up until October 1st of the same year. UPWARD MOBILITY PROGRAM This program covers SBA employees at the GS-2 through GS-10 level. It was established to provide maximum opportunity for these employees to obtain higher-level skills through training agreements and to allow them to develop and eventually perform at their highest potential. Trainees are selected competitively for one-grade interval positions based on judgments about potential, motivation and interests. VETERANS HIRING PROGRAMS The most commonly used of all these programs is the Veteran's Readjustment Appointment (VRA) authority. The VRA authority includes the following provisions: 1. Appointments may be made noncompetitively (with no requirement for OPM eligibility) to both temporary and permanent positions. 2. Only Vietnam era veterans and post-Vietnam era veterans may be hired under the VRA authority. Vietnam era veterans who are eligible for VRA appointments are those who: (1) served on active duty for more than 180 days, any part of which occurred between August 5, 1964 and May 7, 1975; and (2) were separated with other than dis- honorable discharges. Post-Vietnam era veterans who are eligible are those who: (1) entered the Armed Forces after May 7, 1975; (2) served on active duty for more than 180 days; and (3) were separated with other than dishonorable discharges. The requirement for more than 180 days active duty does not apply to: (1) veterans sep- arated from active duty because of a service-connected disability; or (2) reserve and guard members who served on active duty during a period of war, such as the Persian Gulf War, or in a military operation for which a campaign or expeditionary medal is authorized. 3. Vietnam era veterans are eligible for VRA appointments until December 31, 1995, or for ten years from the date of the veteran's last discharge or release from active duty, whichever is later. Post-Vietnam era veterans are eligible until December 31, 1999, or ten years from the date of the veteran's last discharge or release from active duty, whichever is later. Persons who are 30% or more disabled have no time limit on their eligibility for VRA appointments. 4. Appointments may be made to positions at grades up to and including the GS-11 level. 5. Preference consideration must be given to disabled veterans and others with veterans preference over veterans who are not eligible. 6. A training agreement is required for the first two years of employment for individuals with fewer than 15 years of edu- cation. This agreement may include on-the-job and formal training, basic, remedial, secondary, or high school equiva- lency education, college or university courses, or any combi- nation of these. 7. At the end of the two years, appointees with satisfactory work performance will be converted noncompetitively to career-conditional appointments. A temporary or permanent ceiling slot is required based on the type of appointment. Temporary Appointment of Disabled Veterans A veteran with 30% or more compensable service-connected disabilities may receive a temporary appointment without competitive examination for any position in the competitive service for which he or she qualifies. The appointee may later be eligible for noncompetitive conversion to a permanent appointment. Special Tenure Appointments Special tenure appointments are used to noncompetitively appoint veterans who have successfully completed training at a Federal agency under the Veterans Administration vocational rehabilitation program. The veteran must be appointed within one year from the issue date of a certificate of completion. The special tenure appointment is a bridge appointment between the completion of training and recommendation for conversion to a career or career-conditional appointment. Although the veteran may remain under the appointment for 36 months, he or she may only be converted to a career or career-conditional appointment noncompetitively within the first 6 months or at the end of 36 months. Individuals serving in special tenure appointments are eligible for health and life insurance, and retirement coverage. VOCATIONAL EDUCATION WORK-STUDY PROGRAM The objective of this program is to provide an opportunity for economically disadvantaged full-time vocational education students (age 16-20) to remain in school by providing part-time employment. Assignments may be made to routine clerical positions. WORKER TRAINEE PROGRAM This program is designed to provide concentrated on-the-job and/or formal training for individuals hired at the GS-1 level. Worker-trainees are hired under the Temporary Appointment Pending the Establishment of a Register (TAPER) authority for positions which have promotion potential to at least the GS-3 level. TAPER employees who satisfactorily complete 3 years of service may be converted noncompetitively to career status. ---------- End of Document