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Disabled Veteran Internships (Customs & Border Protection) Nationwide

U.S. Customs and Border Protection
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Hello and thanks for your interest regarding internships within my agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Our collaboration with the VA's NPWE internship program is not for our law enforcement positions and just for mission support roles nationwide.

The Non-Paid Work Experience (NPWE) internship program (https://www.benefits.va.gov/VOCREHAB/docs/Non-paidWorkExperience.pdf) is used by all Federal agencies by providing eligible veterans and service members must first apply and be accepted into the VA’s Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program (https://www.benefits.va.gov/vocrehab/). The NPWE provides participants the opportunity to obtain concurrent training and practical job experience within CBP program offices nationally. We have used this program to place numerous veterans into GS-7 ($50,000) through GS-13 ($100,000) positions in a myriad of Management and Program Analyst, CBP Technician, IT Specialist, Intelligence Specialist, and Mission Support roles over the past 4 years.

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), NPWE internships provide eligible veterans and service members who participate in the VA’s Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program the opportunity to obtain concurrent training and practical job experience within CBP program offices nationally. Selectees receive a small monthly stipend from the VA and are full-time assignments for between 6-12 months in duration. As you may know, the VR&E program enables most NPWE veterans with at least 20% service-connection (see attached Employment Handicap document for VA entitlement criteria) to complete their certifications, bachelor’s or master’s degrees, which aids their transition into the civilian labor market; the NPWE internship serves as a vehicle to the veterans’ placement within CBP (and other Federal agencies nationally) by affording them 48 months of education entitlement as opposed to the 36 months that GI Bill provides.

  • Service-members who are six months from separating and have a disability that began or became worse during active duty and who have not yet received a service-connected disability rating do not need to wait until they are in veteran status to apply.  


Once selected by one of our CBP program offices, we require all VA NPWE participants to complete a full background investigation (BI) prior to beginning their internship and they are able to work full-time schedules for 6 to 12 months. Within my agency (CBP), a full BI is initiated once the provisional clearance has been granted and can take up to six months to complete prior to you being able to begin your internship with us. Please, have your counselor contact me so that we can discuss next steps, which include having me disseminate your resume among my interested offices in your area.
 
Once again, your VA counselor or employment coordinator must first approve your involvement in the VA NPWE internship before I can begin identifying internships within my agency for you. 

HOW TO APPLY: 
Once approved by your VA counselor, have them email me at Jeffrey.R.Jack@cbp.dhs.gov and I will assist in identifying NPWE internship opportunities for you. 

Again, these internships are a great vehicle for you to get a foot in the door to prove your value to employers who understand that they can hire you at any time during these internship experience.

I’ve also attached the “Employment Handicap Defined by VA Vocational Rehabilitation” document that you will want to review prior to your appointment with VA. This document describes how the criteria for entitlement to the VR&E benefit. It is helpful for you to safeguard your entry into this program by reviewing this document and taking two copies with you to the appointment to ensure the VA is following the correct protocol for determining your entry or non-entitlement for this program.

Thanks again for reaching out, thank you for your honorable service, and enjoy your day my friend.