Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://dair.nps.edu/handle/123456789/4757
Title: Improving Internship Program and Intern Retention at Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme Division Contracting Office
Authors: Brian Carpenter, Demi Degarmo
Keywords: intern
contracting
retention
intern program
organizational behavior
recruitment
survey
interviews
NSWC PHD
morale
Issue Date: 1-Jun-2022
Publisher: Acquisition Research Program
Citation: APA
Series/Report no.: Human Resources;NPS-HR-22-243
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.
Description: Student thesis
URI: https://dair.nps.edu/handle/123456789/4757
Appears in Collections:NPS Graduate Student Theses & Reports

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