Employers gain access to database to recruit workers with disabilities

Resource made available by US Labor Department

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense, today made available the 2011 Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities database. This resource is intended to assist federal and private-sector employers in identifying workers with disabilities.

The more than 2,200 candidates in this year's database represent all academic backgrounds and are working toward, or recently earned, associate, bachelor's, master's, doctoral and law degrees. Students have been interviewed by recruiters from various federal agencies. Some seek summer employment, while others are looking for regular, full-time positions.

"This database is filled with talented students who are highly motivated to prove their skills in the workplace," said ODEP Assistant Secretary Kathy Martinez.

To take advantage of the new database, federal officials can visit http://www.wrp.gov to register and search independently for candidates who meet their hiring needs. They also can track the status of candidates they are interested in interviewing, including whether they already have been hired.

Private-sector employers can search the program's database through ODEP's National Employer Assistance and Resource Network by making a toll-free telephone call to 866-327-6669 or filling out a request form at http://www.earnworks.com.

More than 20 federal agencies regularly utilize the Workforce Recruitment Program as a recruiting tool, and it has provided employment opportunities for more than 5,500 students since 1995. The program supports President Obama's executive order titled "Increasing Federal Employment of Individuals with Disabilities."