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Pending AppointmentAssistant Secretary, Policy, Management, and BudgetAS-PMB
FY 16-17: Agency Priority Goal
Engaging the Next Generation
Priority Goal
Goal Overview
Problem or opportunity being addressed
The future of the Nation’s natural, cultural and historic heritage depends on the next generation of active stewards. The Millennial generation, defined as individuals born in 1980 or later, is larger, more urban and diverse than any generation in our history. Yet Millennials have grown up more disconnected from the natural world. As Secretary Sally Jewell has said, “Engaging the Millennial generation in service on public lands, welcoming them into the Department of the Interior, and so many other opportunities to have work within public lands management, is going to be a critical part of our future, if we care about these special places that help define us.”
Secretary Sally Jewell, March 14, 2014 – Announcing the Next Generation Priority http://www.doi.gov/youth/news/engaging-the-next-generation.cfm
Interior's Engaging the Next Generation priority goal seeks to establish meaningful and deep connections between young people from every background and every community to the great outdoors. Interior is working to inspire millions of young people to play, learn, serve and work outdoors, and aims to provide 100,000 work and training opportunities over four years to individuals up to the age of 35.
Relationship to agency strategic goals and objectives
This priority goal supports Mission Area 4, “Engaging the Next Generation,” of the Department of the Interior’s FY 2014-2018 Strategic Plan, as well as efforts to create a 21st Century Workforce. Interior benefits from a workforce that is passionate about the mission, dedicated to public service, and highly skilled and knowledgeable. Across Interior, 40% of our permanent workforce will be eligible to retire within the next five years. As part of our succession planning, a variety of work and training opportunities to next generation students and recent graduates are provided. Interior’s goal of engaging youth in conservation includes programs to encourage the nation’s youth to play, learn, serve, and work in the great outdoors.
Key barriers and challenges
By and through its partners, Interior must provide work and training opportunities within a specific time-frame for seasonal and temporary summer employment. If bureaus miss the window of opportunity during the limited time-frame, participants may seek employment opportunities elsewhere. Additionally, with approximately one-third of Interior youth employment stemming from partnership agreements, our ability to enter into partnership agreements is essential, particularly for the peak hiring seasons when colleges are out of session. These public/private partnership efforts help to leverage Federal dollars, in some cases by a 3 to 1 ratio, and assist Interior in increasing youth employment opportunities.
Stakeholder Engagement
Interior partners with the Corps Network, which engages 30,000 young people in all 50 States, in addition to the Public Lands Service Coalition. Also, Interior partners with non-profit, corporate, state, local and tribal entities to enhance volunteer service opportunities and youth employment in the great outdoors. Interior will continue to engage these stakeholders in implementing broader youth stewardship and engagement.
Strategies
Interior works with partners under the authorities of the Public Land Corps and Youth Conservation Corps Acts to involve youth and Millennials ages 15 to 35. Additionally, the Youth in the Great Outdoors Initiative places a special emphasis on engaging youth from communities with historically lower participation rates, as well as young women and girls, in our programs. Further information on related activities can be found at: https://www.doi.gov/youth/.
Progress Update
In the fourth quarter of FY 2016, an additional 8,199 new permanent, temporary and seasonal hires, and new partnership opportunities for individuals between 15-35 years of age were added to the FY2014-2016 total for a cumulative total of 76,344 next generation employment and training opportunities. Approximately one-third of the Department's youth employment stems from partnership agreements. Our ability to enter into partnership agreements is essential, particularly for the peak hiring seasons when colleges are out of session. These employment opportunities, which help to leverage Federal dollars, in some cases by a 3 to 1 ratio and assist Interior in increasing youth employment opportunities, are typically expected in the third and fourth quarters of FY 2016, during the warmer months that are more conducive to outdoor activities and school is out of session.
Next Steps
The Department will leverage collaboration with the Partnership for Public Service, OPM and other partners to promote Pathways Internships and other employment opportunities for millennials. The Department is also building capacity to improve millennial employment through Hiring Excellence Workshops which discuss hiring flexibilities regarding youth employment, and partnering with Peace Corps to recruit returning Peace Corps Volunteers. Further information on the opportunities for engaging the next generation is available through the following sites:
- DOI Youth initiative including the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps at https://www.doi.gov/youth/about
- DOI Pathways Program at https://www.doi.gov/pathways/
- Volunteer opportunities at https://www.doi.gov/volunteer
Contributing Programs & Other Factors
Contributing Programs within the agency
Every Interior Bureau is participating in the priority goal: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Education, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Geological Survey.
Contributing programs or partners outside the agency
The 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC) is a key component of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative which was launched in 2010 to encourage Americans, particularly young people, to enjoy our country’s rivers and waterways, farms and forests, and parks. The 21CSC establishes quality jobs, career pathways and service opportunities for youth and veterans, and facilitates collaboration with multiple partnership organizations to employ youth. These partnerships include Federal agencies, such as the Departments of Labor and Agriculture, Office of Personnel Management, and Corporation for National and Community Service and non-Federal Partners, such as The Corps Network, Southwest Conservation Corps, and Student Conservation Association.
Expand All
Strategic Goals
Strategic Goal:
Develop the next generation of lifelong conservation stewards and ensure our own skilled and diverse workforce pipeline
Statement:
To develop the next generation of lifelong conservation stewards and ensure our own skilled and diverse workforce pipeline, Interior will provide 100,000 work & training opportunities to young people (ages 15 to 25) over four years. In order to achieve the goal, we will utilize public-private partnerships to leverage additional resources and provide additional work and training opportunities than those we could do on our own. Our work and training opportunities will support the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC) which is a multi-agency effort to provide work and training opportunities in stewardship of our public lands to young people and veterans, helping them develop skills to serve both the nation’s natural and cultural resources, but also their own futures. The other 21 CSC federal agency partners are Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Environmental Protection Agency, Army, Council on Environmental Quality and the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Strategic Objectives
Statement:
Number of work and training opportunities provided to young people.
Description:
Young people’s involvement in the Department’s stewardship activities provides benefits that are far reaching, including: educating a generation about nature and the values surrounding conservation; infusing energy and new thinking into the Federal Government; creating opportunities to improve the health of younger generations; providing hands-on green job experience and career pathways; and supplying important economic benefits in both rural and urban communities. The Department’s bureaus and offices are taking a number of steps to engage the next generation in the Department’s conservation work, including partnering with schools, coordinating volunteers, and welcoming young people to play, learn, serve, and work in the outdoors. With one-third of the Department’s workforce eligible to retire within the next 5 years, engaging the next generation is critical not only for the health of our public lands and economy, it also is key to ensuring a new generation of land managers, wildlife biologists, tribal experts, park rangers, scientists, civil engineers, lawyers, and the many other professionals that enable the Department to carry out its diverse missions.
Agency Priority Goals
Statement:
Engaging the Next Generation: By September 30, 2015, the Department of Interior will provide 40,000 work and training opportunities over two fiscal years (FY 2014 and FY 2015) for individuals age 15 to 35 to support the mission of the Department.
Description:
a. Problem or opportunity being addressed
The future of the Country’s natural, cultural and historic heritage depends on the next generation of active stewards. The Millennial generation, defined as individuals born in 1980 or later, is larger, more urban and diverse than any generation in our history. Yet Millennials have grown up more disconnected from the natural world. As Secretary Sally Jewell indicated, “Engaging the millennial generation in service on public lands, welcoming them into the Department of the Interior, and so many other opportunities to have work within public lands management, is going to be a critical part of our future, if we care about these special places that help define us.”
Secretary Sally Jewell, March 14, 2014 – Announcing the Next Generation Priority http://www.doi.gov/youth/news/engaging-the-next-generation.cfm
The underlying objective of Interior's Engaging the Next Generation priority is to establish meaningful and deep connections between young people from every background and every community to the great outdoors. Interior is investing millions of dollars in our Engaging the Next Generation priority to inspire millions of young people to play, learn, serve and work outdoors. To that end, Interior has established a goal of providing 100,000 work and training opportunities over four years to individuals up to the age of 35. In support of this long-term goal, the FY 2014-FY 2015 priority goal is being extended to include ages 15-35 in providing 40,000 work and training opportunity over the two year period, starting in FY 2015.
This priority goal complements Interior’s efforts to develop a 21st Century Workforce. The Department benefits from a workforce that is passionate about the mission, dedicated to public service, and highly skilled and knowledgeable. Across Interior, 40% of our permanent workforce will be eligible to retire within the next five years. Providing a variety of work and training opportunities to students and recent graduates is critical to our succession planning.
b. Relationship to agency strategic goals and objectives
This priority goal supports Strategic Plan mission area 4, “Engaging the Next Generation” as well as efforts to create a 21st Century Workforce. The priority goal aims to address reductions in work and training opportunities created by fiscal challenges in FY 2013 and builds upon the number of opportunities provided in FY 2010-FY 2012.
This priority goal for work and training opportunities builds upon other Engaging the Next Generation initiatives at DOI. The Department’s goal of engaging youth in conservation includes programs to encourage the nation’s youth to play, learn, serve, and work in the great outdoors. As the culmination of this four pronged approach, work and training opportunities for youth depend in great part on successful efforts to promote recreation on DOI-managed public lands, encourage the nation’s educators to bring our natural environment into classrooms, and cultivate a culture of service in support of conservation and natural resource management.
c. Key barriers and challenges
Work and training opportunities, both directly by the Department and through partners, must occur within a specific time-frame for seasonal and temporary summer employment in order to secure commitments from participants. If bureaus miss the window of opportunity during the limited time-frame, participants may seek employment opportunities elsewhere. Additionally, with approximately one-third of DOI youth employment stemming from partnership agreements, budget uncertainty creates significant challenges to Bureaus’ ability to enter into partnership agreements, particularly for the peak hiring seasons when colleges are out of session. These public/private partnership efforts help to leverage Federal dollars, in some cases by a 3 to 1 ratio, and assist the Department in increasing youth employment opportunities.
In FY 2013, fiscal and budgetary challenges significantly impacted the Department’s ability to fund work and training opportunities for youth. Furthermore, the timing of the budgetary uncertainty, as well as the implementation of new models of youth employment across the government, via the Pathways program, made timely hiring of youth for those available positions difficult. Should current budgetary and fiscal trends continue, the Department expects these to pose a barrier to fulfillment of this goal.
d. Stakeholder Engagement
Key partners include the over 150 members of the Corps Network that engage 30,000 young people in all 50 States in addition to the work of the Public Lands Service Coalition. These public/private partnership efforts help to leverage Federal dollars in some cases 3 to 1 and have assisted the Departments in increasing youth employment opportunities. In addition, there are many non-profit, corporate, state, local and tribal entities that partner with the Department to enhance volunteer service opportunities and youth employment in the great outdoors. It will continue to be important to engage these stakeholders as we implement related recommendations for the broader youth stewardship and engagement priority goal.
Strategic Objectives
Strategic Objective:
Provide conservation work and training opportunities for young people
Statement:
Number of work and training opportunities provided to young people.
Description:
Young people’s involvement in the Department’s stewardship activities provides benefits that are far reaching, including: educating a generation about nature and the values surrounding conservation; infusing energy and new thinking into the Federal Government; creating opportunities to improve the health of younger generations; providing hands-on green job experience and career pathways; and supplying important economic benefits in both rural and urban communities. The Department’s bureaus and offices are taking a number of steps to engage the next generation in the Department’s conservation work, including partnering with schools, coordinating volunteers, and welcoming young people to play, learn, serve, and work in the outdoors. With one-third of the Department’s workforce eligible to retire within the next 5 years, engaging the next generation is critical not only for the health of our public lands and economy, it also is key to ensuring a new generation of land managers, wildlife biologists, tribal experts, park rangers, scientists, civil engineers, lawyers, and the many other professionals that enable the Department to carry out its diverse missions.
Agency Priority Goals
Statement: Engaging the Next Generation: By September 30, 2015, the Department of Interior will provide 40,000 work and training opportunities over two fiscal years (FY 2014 and FY 2015) for individuals age 15 to 35 to support the mission of the Department.
Description: a. Problem or opportunity being addressed The future of the Country’s natural, cultural and historic heritage depends on the next generation of active stewards. The Millennial generation, defined as individuals born in 1980 or later, is larger, more urban and diverse than any generation in our history. Yet Millennials have grown up more disconnected from the natural world. As Secretary Sally Jewell indicated, “Engaging the millennial generation in service on public lands, welcoming them into the Department of the Interior, and so many other opportunities to have work within public lands management, is going to be a critical part of our future, if we care about these special places that help define us.” Secretary Sally Jewell, March 14, 2014 – Announcing the Next Generation Priority http://www.doi.gov/youth/news/engaging-the-next-generation.cfm The underlying objective of Interior's Engaging the Next Generation priority is to establish meaningful and deep connections between young people from every background and every community to the great outdoors. Interior is investing millions of dollars in our Engaging the Next Generation priority to inspire millions of young people to play, learn, serve and work outdoors. To that end, Interior has established a goal of providing 100,000 work and training opportunities over four years to individuals up to the age of 35. In support of this long-term goal, the FY 2014-FY 2015 priority goal is being extended to include ages 15-35 in providing 40,000 work and training opportunity over the two year period, starting in FY 2015. This priority goal complements Interior’s efforts to develop a 21st Century Workforce. The Department benefits from a workforce that is passionate about the mission, dedicated to public service, and highly skilled and knowledgeable. Across Interior, 40% of our permanent workforce will be eligible to retire within the next five years. Providing a variety of work and training opportunities to students and recent graduates is critical to our succession planning. b. Relationship to agency strategic goals and objectives This priority goal supports Strategic Plan mission area 4, “Engaging the Next Generation” as well as efforts to create a 21st Century Workforce. The priority goal aims to address reductions in work and training opportunities created by fiscal challenges in FY 2013 and builds upon the number of opportunities provided in FY 2010-FY 2012. This priority goal for work and training opportunities builds upon other Engaging the Next Generation initiatives at DOI. The Department’s goal of engaging youth in conservation includes programs to encourage the nation’s youth to play, learn, serve, and work in the great outdoors. As the culmination of this four pronged approach, work and training opportunities for youth depend in great part on successful efforts to promote recreation on DOI-managed public lands, encourage the nation’s educators to bring our natural environment into classrooms, and cultivate a culture of service in support of conservation and natural resource management. c. Key barriers and challenges Work and training opportunities, both directly by the Department and through partners, must occur within a specific time-frame for seasonal and temporary summer employment in order to secure commitments from participants. If bureaus miss the window of opportunity during the limited time-frame, participants may seek employment opportunities elsewhere. Additionally, with approximately one-third of DOI youth employment stemming from partnership agreements, budget uncertainty creates significant challenges to Bureaus’ ability to enter into partnership agreements, particularly for the peak hiring seasons when colleges are out of session. These public/private partnership efforts help to leverage Federal dollars, in some cases by a 3 to 1 ratio, and assist the Department in increasing youth employment opportunities. In FY 2013, fiscal and budgetary challenges significantly impacted the Department’s ability to fund work and training opportunities for youth. Furthermore, the timing of the budgetary uncertainty, as well as the implementation of new models of youth employment across the government, via the Pathways program, made timely hiring of youth for those available positions difficult. Should current budgetary and fiscal trends continue, the Department expects these to pose a barrier to fulfillment of this goal. d. Stakeholder Engagement Key partners include the over 150 members of the Corps Network that engage 30,000 young people in all 50 States in addition to the work of the Public Lands Service Coalition. These public/private partnership efforts help to leverage Federal dollars in some cases 3 to 1 and have assisted the Departments in increasing youth employment opportunities. In addition, there are many non-profit, corporate, state, local and tribal entities that partner with the Department to enhance volunteer service opportunities and youth employment in the great outdoors. It will continue to be important to engage these stakeholders as we implement related recommendations for the broader youth stewardship and engagement priority goal.
