Coming up against an April 8, 2014 deadline to get a work placement within an agency, many 2013 Presidential Management Fellow finalists are seeking an extension. More than 250 current finalists have petitioned OPM’s Katherine Archuleta to intervene and provide them with more time or assistance (the petition requests an extra job fair).
Government Executive’s Eric Katz reports that just 213 of 668 finalists in 2013 have received jobs so far. According to GovLoop’s pathtopmf.com somewhere around 60% of finalists have obtained appointments as fellows over the past several years. Jeremy Furrer, PMF class of 2011, cites lower numbers for last year and the year before (47% and 55%, respectively). This would indicate that 100 finalists would have to be hired in the next month to match 2012 appointment levels.
Without any intervention by OPM, it looks like this will be one of the most “un-placed” classes in recent memory.
The 2014 class of finalists will be named some time in March or April. They are scheduled to begin seeking appointments in early April.
With declining appointment rates, should OPM name fewer finalists this year? Should they provide more hiring assistance to future classes?
They may want to eliminate the $7,000 fee that agencies must pay per appointee. I also think that STEM majors should be pursued. Many agencies are downsizing or freezing new hires due to budget restrictions.
@Terry couldn’t agree more re: STEM. Data on 2013 finalists shows that those fields are lacking: http://pmfellow.blogspot.com/2013/04/exploring-2013-pmf-finalist-data.html Greater equity for STEM will strengthen PMF.
We’ve been frozen since 2009. By August of this year our organization will have 5 vacancies.
@Julie Interesting. Perhaps the 2013 class bore the brunt of sequestration, furloughs, shutdown, etc. more than any other and 2014 will provide a more typical experience for PMF finalists…
PMF…Hmmmm… our installation got rid of all the STEPs and interns in 2008…never to return due to changes to the new Pathways…. which to this day has never materialuzed due to funding. With a 7K price tag to the agency to implement the PMF…it has become crystal clear why my agency hasn’t had undergrads…interns…and summer hires for the last 6 yrs. The young blood we need at our installation has long gone…..with the freezes in hiring and raises…add the sequestration and furloughs, they have gone to the private sector.