; and (B) may make investments to support the recruitment, training, hiring, and retention of covered graduates. (2) Signing bonus The Secretaries may provide for a signing bonus to enable the successful employment and transition of covered graduates, including for the purpose of securing housing in rural and remote communities. (b) Direct hire authority For fiscal year 2023 and each fiscal year thereafter, the Secretaries may appoint, without regard to the provisions of subchapter I of chapter 33 of title 5, United States Code, other than sections 3303 and 3328 of that title, a covered graduate directly to a position for which the covered graduate meets Office of Personnel Management qualification standards. (c) Pathways to employment The Secretaries shall ensure that appropriate career pathways are developed for covered graduates of relevant Civilian Conservation Center training programs. (d) Disadvantaged youth employment Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretaries may employ covered students at regular rates of pay for necessary hours of work. (e) Use of covered students for contracts, agreements, and grants To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary of Agriculture shall encourage the use of covered students to fulfill obligations under contracts, agreements, and grants relevant to the training administered by the Forest Service at a unit of the National Forest System where a Civilian Conservation Center is located. 305. Wildland firefighting housing pilot program (a) In general The Secretaries shall establish a pilot program to employ covered students to improve and expand the housing stock owned by the Federal Government for the purpose of housing wildland firefighters, volunteers, partner crewmembers, interns, and other agency employees. (b) Requirements In carrying out the pilot program under subsection (a), the Secretaries shall— (1) identify properties currently owned by the Federal Government that would be appropriate housing for wildland firefighters, volunteers, partner