Who to Call For more information, contact the Inventory Management TCF Program Manager.

Program Summary
The TCF Program/Inventory Management Specialist internship is intended to develop professionally competent employees to administer supply and material management functions for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The intern program provides appropriate time for prospective managers to get the experience they need under the supervision of a well-qualified preceptor. Upon completion of the program, interns will be fully functional Inventory Management Specialists who are trained, mobile, well rounded, and tested in the VA logistics community.

The intern will achieve the following skills, knowledge, and abilities:

1. An overall knowledge and understanding of the mission and function of the VHA
2. A comprehensive working knowledge of the logistics program in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
3. A broad knowledge of and ability to utilize principles, methods, techniques, and systems of logistics management
4. The ability to apply supply chain management key activities, including purchasing, planning, order processing and fulfillment, inventory management, transportation, distribution, and customer service
5. The ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues and all levels of key management officials, both within and outside VA, while exercising tact, diplomacy, ingenuity, and resourcefulness
6. The ability to make oral and written presentations in a clear and concise manner
7. The ability to participate in strategic planning for the future of VA and the VHA as a whole

Training Objectives
Core competencies have been identified for the purpose of developing and enhancing interns' skills in Inventory Management, Property Management, Supply Processing and Distribution (SPD), Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP), types of contracts, and source selection.

Training Specifics
The intern and preceptor will compare the intern's skill, knowledge, and abilities with those required by the program and create a Personal Development Plan. When intern graduates of the program report to their first permanent duty station, they must be fully functional as Inventory Management Specialists and require only minor efforts to adapt to the facility.

Internship training consists of the following categories:

On-the-Job Training – The intern is expected to demonstrate effective oral and written communication through oral presentations, research projects, and written correspondence. The intern is also expected to rotate through other areas of the facility. Such rotations include contact with higher management personnel, participation in facility committees, special projects, real learning situations, and increasing responsibility.

Formal Training – The intern must attend available training core courses, such as a Materiel Management Seminar; CLO Conference; Intern Conference; SPD Cluster Training; GIP, Warehouse, and Asset Management training; SAP; and supplemental formal training, as required.

Facility Rotation – The intern will complete prescribed rotations in some of the VA network's major medical center offices, e.g., Fiscal, Business Office, and AMM&S.

Temporary Duty Travel – The intern may be required to complete temporary duty travel. This may include a rotation to another health care center within the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) and to the VHA Chief Logistics Office.

Qualifications:
The ability and willingness to relocate is a requirement for selection as a TCF Program intern. If relocation is necessary for permanent placement, VA pays for moving expenses. Applicants must be U.S. citizens.