Federal database offers online resource of job candidates with disabilities

Federal employers nationwide can tap into this ongoing recruitment resource online. Private sector, other government and nonprofit employers can request unlimited searches by calling a toll-free telephone number.

"Finding and retaining qualified workers is vital to all employers," says Karen M. Czarnecki, acting assistant secretary of labor for disability employment policy. "The Workforce Recruitment Program serves as a pipeline for organizations to hire workers in summer jobs, train and evaluate them, and then transition them into permanent positions when they graduate from college."

The Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities, co-sponsored by the Labor Department's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and the U.S. Department of Defense, compiled the database by sending recruiters to nearly 200 college campuses across the country to interview eligible undergraduate and post-graduate students. Many of the students are seeking summer job opportunities, while others have graduated and are looking for permanent employment.

To use the database, an employer sets criteria for each candidate search by specifying location, college/university, degree program, position type and length of appointment. Job seekers represent many high-demand fields of study, including accounting, administration, business, communications, computers, criminal justice, education, engineering, human resources/equal employment opportunity, health care, law, the social sciences and the sciences.

Hiring officials at federal agencies can access the Workforce Recruitment Program database and conduct independent searches on the Internet by obtaining a password at https://wrp.gov/.

Employers in the private sector, state and local government agencies and nonprofit organizations should contact the Labor Department's Employer Assistance and Recruiting Network at 866-327-6669 to access the database.

The Workforce Recruitment Program has assisted employers in identifying job candidates with disabilities who meet their recruitment needs since 1995.

ODEP is leading a 21st-century federal response to the historic underemployment of people with disabilities. In collaboration with other government agencies, public and private employers and additional stakeholders, ODEP facilitates the development and implementation of innovative policies and practices necessary to achieve a fully inclusive workplace.

ODEP's work primarily falls into three categories: employers and the workplace; workforce systems; and employment-related supports, which include education and training, health care, reliable transportation, affordable housing and assistive technology. For more information about the agency, visit http://www.dol.gov/odep/.