NEW MEXICO—Forest Service Human Resources Management partnered with the Forest Service Job Corps program to create resources that will streamline the hiring process for Job Corps students and graduates.

The Job Corps program is the largest nationwide residential career training program in the country. The program helps eligible young people ages 16 through 24 complete their high school education, train for meaningful careers, and obtain employment. Forest Service Civilian Conservation Centers are unique in that they are the only Job Corps centers authorized through the 2014 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to conserve, develop or manage public natural resources and public recreation areas; develop community projects in the public interest; and respond to natural disasters.

Students have access to room and board while learning career technical skills in specific training areas, providing them a focused learning and growing environment. These training programs range from wildland fire and natural resources to computer networking and office administration. After graduating, Job Corps assists students in entering the workforce or an apprenticeship, proceeding to higher education or joining the military.

The Forest Service seeks to recruit and offer entry-level positions to Forest Service Job Corps trained and experienced candidates. The Forest Service Job Corps program has the capacity to train approximately 4,000 young people each year in 10 high-growth industry sectors, including renewable resources and energy, information technology, automotive and machine repair, and more.

To better streamline the recruitment and hiring process for these students, leadership from Forest Service HRM National Talent Acquisition and Job Corps designed the “Job Corps Program Transition Guide.” This resource demonstrates the extent to which Job Corps program completers meet Office of Performance Management qualifications for various job series and can be used by both organizations to recruit and hire for the Forest Service.

“This guide is instrumental in facilitating Job Corps graduates’ path to employment in the Forest Service. Job Corps is very complex and multifaceted, and hiring managers, JCCCC support staff and graduates have historically struggled to determine qualification standards and interpretation of policy regarding application to entry-level positions,” said Jesse Casterson, integration program coordinator for Job Corps. “The Job Corps Program Transition/Crosswalk Guide provides clear direction and clarification for all applicable parties as Forest units look to hire our graduates. The JCCCCs have a long history of training students with the technical skills to obtain work in our agency but have struggled with employing them in relevant positions. That roadblock has been removed with this guide and centers, graduates, and the Job Corps National Office are confident the CCCs have moved forward with cementing our role as primary training ground for entry-level Forest Service positions.”

Vocational development specialists within Job Corps can use the guide to educate students on potential career opportunities with the Forest Service while HRM staffers will use the guide as a crosswalk between the qualification standards and the program the Job Corps graduate completed, ensuring greater standardization when conducting qualification reviews for all candidates.

“There are so many natural alignments between Job Corps training programs and many of the mission critical occupations we recruit for, so we knew if we could connect those dots, it would be a win-win for Job Corps and the agency as a whole,” said Chris Stockdale, lead national recruiter for the Forest Service. “Working with Job Corps students, alumni and staff has been a rewarding partnership for Forest Service HRM. It has been exciting meeting so many young people eager to start their Forest Service career and my team enjoys educating them on the federal application process.”

Currently, the guide highlights how students studying construction and natural resources can qualify as a forestry aid in recreation and timber. It also details how Job Corps students in any program may meet the qualifications for a forestry aid in wildland firefighting. Additional Job Corps training programs and the Forest Service job series they align with will be added to the document as these two areas continue to collaborate.

“HRM’s National Talent Acquisition team area was efficient, responsive, professional and clearly anchored to the success of Forest Service Job Corps CCC graduates. The team selflessly put time and effort in to drafting and redrafting the Job Corps Program Transition Guide as numerous subject matter experts from the Integration Team contributed their insights as the project moved forward,” said Casterson. “Their team was always available for questions, support, and clarification. Knowing well the work overload HRM is always under, their effort and dedication to the project clearly reflects their passion and commitment to the Job Corps program, our graduates, and our ability to create a pipeline of highly-trained employees into the agency.”

To learn more about upcoming Forest Service job vacancies and hiring events, please visit our jobs webpage.