IMPROVING INTERNSHIP PROGRAM AND INTERN RETENTION AT NAVAL SURFACE WARFARE CENTER PORT HUENEME DIVISION CONTRACTING OFFICE
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Authors
Carpenter, Brian A.
Degarmo, Demi
Subjects
intern
contracting
retention
intern program
organizational behavior
recruitment
survey
interviews
NSWC PHD
morale
contracting
retention
intern program
organizational behavior
recruitment
survey
interviews
NSWC PHD
morale
Advisors
Friedman, Mitchell
Ford, Eric, NSWC PHD
Date of Issue
2022-06
Date
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
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Abstract
Entry-level employees (ELEs) play a vital role in the Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme Division (NSWC PHD) Contracting Office, as they enable the office to complete contract requirements for current and future missions. More specifically, ELEs are responsible for procurement planning, preparing documents, conducting negotiations, and ensuring compliance with regulations and policies. NSWC PHD spends between $100,000 and $250,000 annually to recruit, onboard, and train each ELE with the expectation that ELEs will transition into full-time employees after graduation. With one to three ELEs hired annually, the total annual cost of recruiting, onboarding, and training ELEs ranges from $300,000 to $750,000. Despite recent improvement in the retention rate of ELEs, only 58.3% of ELEs over the past five years chose to maintain full-time employment with NSWC PHD upon completion of their internships, meaning over 40% of funds spent on the internships fail to produce the desired results. This shortfall translates into reduced numbers of staff devoted to managing contracts. In turn, this shortfall causes delays in contract completion, overworks existing employees, and lowers office morale. This study will gather data on ELEs’ perceptions of the program and how these perceptions inform their decisions whether to seek full-time employment with NSWC PHD. The intention is to provide information and insight to managers charged with overseeing the internship experience.
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Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.
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This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.