President Obama recently signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law, which would make it easier for students to obtain internships with the federal government. According to Call to Serve, the law contains the following provisions:
- Requires federal agencies to designate an internship coordinator and post the name and contact information for that coordinator online.
- Requires the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to provide links to information about all federal internship programs on a central website.
- Report language accompanying the new law encourages OPM to develop a centralized database of interns so that agencies can look to this pool to fill job openings. It also suggests that agencies conduct exit interviews and surveys when interns leave so they will have data to help them improve their internship programs.