There is hereby established within the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, the Carl Albert Public Internship Program. The purposes of the program shall be to assist students at institutions of higher education in gaining experience and knowledge in state government and to encourage recruitment of such students to pursue careers in state government service. In administering the program, the Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services shall:

1. Consult with the chief administrative officers of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government in encouraging the establishment and development of intern positions within their agencies;

2. Coordinate with the State Regents for Higher Education and the appropriate public and private institutions of higher education in Oklahoma in the development of a statewide internship program, soliciting qualified applicants, and selecting participants;

3. Develop and coordinate a selection process for placing individuals in intern positions. This selection process shall provide for equal employment opportunities in accordance with state and federal law;

4. Develop and coordinate a training plan for the internship program which balances the need for training and exposure to new ideas with the intern's and agency's need for on-the-job work experience;

5. Develop guidelines for a compensation plan for interns participating in this program; and

6. Provide for recruitment in the regular state service of persons who have successfully completed the Executive Fellows Program provided for in Section 840-3.4 of this title.

Added by Laws 1988, c. 218, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 1988. Renumbered from § 840.40 of this title by Laws 1994, c. 242, § 54. Amended by Laws 2012, c. 304, § 893.