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ODEP News Release: [03/29/2007]
Contact Name: Jennifer Kaplan or Rick Manning
Phone Number: (202) 693-5052 or x4660
Release Number: 07-0472-NAT

Employers Gain Access to Database of 2,000 Job Candidates With Disabilities

U.S. Labor Department now offers recruitment resource online and via toll-free number

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor has made available to employers nationwide a free database of approximately 2,000 new job candidates with disabilities seeking work in a wide variety of fields. For the first time, federal employers now can tap into this ongoing recruitment resource online at WRP.gov, and private sector and other government employers can request unlimited searches by calling (866) 327-6669.

"American employers often express that while they want to include people with disabilities in their recruitment efforts, they do not know where to find qualified candidates," said W. Roy Grizzard, assistant secretary of labor for disability employment policy. "The Workforce Recruitment Program bridges this divide by bringing pre-screened job seekers — with varied education and experience — directly to employers."

The Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities, co-sponsored by the Labor Department's Office of Disability Employment Policy and the U.S. Department of Defense, compiled the database by sending recruiters to more than 250 college campuses to interview eligible undergraduate and post-graduate students. Many of the students are seeking summer internship opportunities, while others have graduated and are looking for permanent employment.

In using the database, an employer sets the criteria for each candidate search by specifying location, 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 WRP.gov. Employers in the private sector, and state and local government agencies, 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.