Collegiate Training Initiative.—

Sec. 362. Collegiate Training Initiative.—(a) The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration may hereafter continue the Collegiate Training Initiative program, by entering into new agreements, and by maintaining existing agreements, with post-secondary educational institutions, as defined by the Administrator, whereby such institutions prepare students for the position of air traffic controller with the Department of Transportation, as defined in section 2109 of title 5, United States Code. (b) The Administrator may establish standards for the entry of institutions into such program and for their continued participation in it. (c) The Administrator may appoint persons who have successfully completed a course of training in such program to the position of air traffic controller noncompetitively in the excepted service, as defined in section 2103, of title 5, United States Code. Persons so appointed shall serve at the pleasure of the Administrator, subject to section 7511, of title 5, United States Code (pertaining to adverse actions). However, an appointment under this subsection may be converted from one in the excepted service to a career conditional or career appointment in the competitive civil service, as defined in section 2102, of title 5, United States Code, when the incumbent achieves full performance level air traffic controller status, as determined by the Administrator. The authority conferred by this subsection to make new appointments in the excepted service snail expire at the end of five years from the date of enactment of this Act, except that the Administrator may determine to extend such authority for one or more successive one-year periods thereafter.