# Presentation: 932436

## Federal Technical Capability Panel Briefing

***May 2008***

## Background

**The NNSA Future Leaders Program’s objective is to**
**bring recent college graduates onto the federal rolls and**
**to provide a developmental program to participants in**
**order to prepare them for assuming critical**
**responsibilities in the next 2 – 5 years.**
**About 30 new, recent college graduates each year**
**Dedicated staff to manage program (2 people)**

## The Future Leaders Program Design

**A two year program of training and development**
**Participants are organizationally assigned to NNSA HQ but are duty stationed at various work sites of NNSA across the country**
**Each participant will receive “core” training applicable to all as well as several leadership courses.**
**Each occupational group has a discipline-specific training program, e.g. General Engineer, Business Specialist, Security Specialist, etc.**

## FLP Participant will serve on at least two different rotational assignments to gain work experience in other NNSA organizations.

Each HQ participant must work at least 60 days in a field site, and each field site participant must work 60 days at HQ

Training curriculum is very structured – technical participants are reassembled 2 times a year for formal training

_**The Future Leaders Program Design**__** (cont.)**_

**FLP Participant will serve on at least two different rotational assignments to gain work experience in other NNSA organizations.**
**Each HQ participant must work at least 60 days in a field site, and each field site participant must work 60 days at HQ**
**Training curriculum is very structured – technical participants are reassembled 2 times a year for formal training**

## During the 2 year FLP program, costs of salary and benefits, travel and training, as well as the FTE, are assumed by the NNSA HQ Office of Human Capital Management Programs.

**During the 2 year FLP program, costs of salary and benefits, travel and training, as well as the FTE, are assumed by the NNSA HQ Office of Human Capital Management Programs.**

## FLP Discipline-Specific Training Plan In Use

**General Engineer**
**Business Management                 Specialist**
**Facility Representative**
**Safeguards & Security**
**Contract Specialist**
**Systems Accountant**

**Realty Specialist**
**Information Technology Specialist**
**Emergency Operations**
**Health Physicist**
**Attorney**
**Cost Price Analyst**

## New Discipline-Specific Training Plans to be Implemented in 2008

**Industrial Hygienist**
**Cyber Security**
**Computing Simulations Specialist**

## Selectees in Technical positions (Engineers and Physical Scientists) were appointed to Excepted Service Positions, either EN or EK

Selectees in non-technical positions (not covered by EN or EK excepted service authorities) were appointed under the Federal Career Intern Program at GS-9 level.

_**Appointment Authorities**_

**Selectees in Technical positions (Engineers and Physical Scientists) were appointed to Excepted Service Positions, either EN or EK**
**Selectees in non-technical positions (not covered by EN or EK excepted service authorities) were appointed under the Federal Career Intern Program at GS-9 level.**

_**FLP Classes 2005-2007**_

## All selectees to be appointed under the NNSA DEMO Pay for Performance System.

NNSA developed a specific career path for Future Leader Program positions.  This path provides for annual 15% increases for all FLP participants while in the program.

_**Appointment Authorities **__**(cont.)**_

**All selectees to be appointed under the NNSA DEMO Pay for Performance System.**
**NNSA developed a specific career path for Future Leader Program positions.  This path provides for annual 15% increases for all FLP participants while in the program.**

_**FLP Class of 2008**_

## $6,000 Recruitment Bonus

Student Loan Repayment

Not to exceed $10,000 per year for up to 3 years

Each recruitment incentive requires selectee to commit to a service agreement.

**$6,000 Recruitment Bonus**
**Student Loan Repayment**
**Not to exceed $10,000 per year for up to 3 years**
**Each recruitment incentive requires selectee to commit to a service agreement.**

## Needs Assessment

**8 Site Offices, the Service Center and HQ Program Offices are asked to identify FLP needs annually.**
**From the list of identified needs, a class of about 30 positions is developed.**

## Recognized as outstanding academic institutions (US News and World Report)

Sources of diverse candidates                                 (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)
     (Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities)

Universities are in close geographic proximity to positions being filled

**Recognized as outstanding academic institutions (US News and World Report)**
**Sources of diverse candidates****                                 ****(Historically Black Colleges and Universities)**
**     ****(Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities)**
**Universities are in close geographic proximity to positions being filled**

## Conversion of FLP Participants

**Prior to completion of two year program, the FLP Manager, in consultation with the home office supervisor, determines if the FLP participant should be retained.**
**Upon retention, participant will be converted from the FLP and reassigned to rolls of the home office.  At that point, home office will pick up the cost of salary and benefits, travel and training, and FTE.**

## Size of FLP Classes

| Class | Beginning Size | Ending/Current Size |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2005 | 29 | 26 |
| 2006 | 30 | 29 |
| 2007 | 24 | 23 |
| 2008 | 32 | 32 |

**Retention rate has been 96%  **

## Universities Visited for FLP Recruitment

| SCHOOLS | C/O 2005 | C/O 2006 | C/O 2007 | C/O 2008 | Comments |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| University of California, Berkeley | X | X | X | X |  Nuclear Engineers/Diversity |
| University of Maryland  | X | X | X | X | Engineers / Diversity  |
| University of New Mexico  | X | X | X | X | HACU  |
| New Mexico State University  | X | X | X | X | HACU  |
| Howard University  | X | X | X | X | HBCU  |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | X | X | X |   | Engineers/Diversity |
| University of Tennessee  | X |   | X | X | Nuclear Engineers  |
| Texas A&M University  | X | X |   |   | Nuclear Engineers  |
| South Carolina State University  | X |   |   |   | HBCU  |
| University of California, Davis | X |   |   |   |   |
| University of Florida  | X |   |   |   |   |
| University of Missouri, Rolla | X |   |   |   |   |
| University of Nevada, Las Vegas | X |   | X |   |  |
| Wichita State University  | X |   |   |   |   |
| University of Oklahoma  |   | X |   |   |   |
| California State University, East Bay |   | X |   |   |   |
| Prairie View A&M University  |   | X |   | X | HBCU  |
| University of Michigan  |   | X |   |   | Nuclear Engineers  |
| Texas Tech University  |   | X |   | X |  |
| New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology |   |   | X | X |  |
| Louisiana State University  |   |   | X |   |  |
| Southern University |   |   | X |   | HBCU  |
| Columbia University  |   |   | X |   |   |
| Florida State University  |   |   |   | X |   |
| Pennsylvania State University  |   |   |   | X |   |

## Slide 16

## Job Positions

- (Includes 10 Nuclear Engineers)

## Demographic History of FLP

| DEMOGRAPHICS | C/O 2005 |  | C/O 2006 |  | C/O 2007 |  | C/O 2008 |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % |
| Females | 9 | 31% | 15 | 50% | 11 | 46% | 18 | 56% |
| Hispanic | 7 | 24% | 6 | 20% | 7 | 29% | 5 | 17% |
| Native American | 1 | 3% | 0 | 0% | 1 | 4% | 1 | 3% |
| African American | 3 | 10% | 10 | 33% | 3 | 12% | 7 | 22% |
| Asian | 5 | 17% | 2 | 7% | 4 | 17% | 3 | 10% |
| Minority or Female | 21 | 72% | 21 | 70% | 19 | 79% | 24 | 75% |
| Graduate Degrees | 6 | 21% | 16 | 55% | 14 | 58% | 18 | 56% |
| Average GPA | 3.1 | N/A | 3.4 | N/A | 3.4 | N/A | 3.5 | N/A |
| Average Age | 25 | N/A | 25 | N/A | 28 | N/A | 27 | N/A |

## Program Expansion

**After the first year, FLP has included security positions subsequent to the dismantling of the   NA-70 Security Intern Program.**
**The Class of 2008 includes two positions filled for DOE/HSS to help meet the entrance level recruitment needs of that organization.**

## Why FLPers Said They Accepted This Job

**Career vs. Job**
**Unique**
**Nuclear Security**
**Patriotism**
**Job Security**
**Student Loan Repayment**
**Travel Opportunities**
**Alternate Work Schedules**
**Benefit Package**
**Rotations During Two-Year Program**
**Recruitment Bonus**

## Why Candidates Said They Did NOT Accept This Job

**Insufficient Salary**
**Four year commitment too much**
**Offer not timely enough**
**Returning to Graduate School**
**Requires too much travel**