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ETA News Release: [02/11/2003]
Contact Name: Elissa Pruett
Phone Number: (202) 693-4676

Department of Labor and Home Depot Launch National Hiring Partnership Week

Home Depot to Hire Approximately 60,000 Seasonal Associates

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Labor’s Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Emily Stover DeRocco, and Dennis Donovan, Executive Vice President of Human Resources for The Home Depot, announced that the Department of Labor and The Home Depot are launching National Hiring Partnership Week, February 10–14, 2003.

The Home Depot is entering its busy spring hiring season and plans to hire approximately 60,000 seasonal workers nationally—on average 40 associates at each of the 1,500-plus Home Depot stores. Home Depot officials anticipate that more that 50 percent of these seasonal hires will convert to regular full and part-time jobs.

The National Hiring Partnership Week is an opportunity to strengthen the working relationship between local Home Depot stores and the public workforce system through the local One Stop Career Centers. There are 1,900 One Stop Centers nationwide. The One-Stop Career Centers assist employers with recruitment, training, and retention of skilled workers and assist job seekers in qualifying for and securing good jobs at good wages.

“Although we are beginning to see signs of economic recovery, jobs are not being created fast enough and there are still too many unemployed workers. By working together with Home Depot, we are helping job seekers find good paying jobs with career pathways,” DeRocco said.

“The timing is perfect to kick off the National Hiring Partnership Week. Home Depot is preparing to hire approximately 60,000 workers nationwide over the next four months,” said Donovan. “As part of our ongoing program, thousands of quality applicants have been referred by the One Stop Career Centers and hired by Home Depot stores.”

Home Depot human resource managers will meet with local One-Stop Career Centers to discuss their spring hiring needs. Meetings will occur at either the local Home Depot stores or at the One Stop Career Centers. The Home Depot is looking for candidates to fill entry-level and skilled positions such as garden, parking lot, cashier and receiving associates.

The Labor Department’s Employment and Training Administration created the Partnerships for Jobs Initiative to ensure that large, national businesses are connected to the full range of services available through the state and local workforce systems.

“I applaud the local One Stop Career Centers throughout this country for their hard work, and the Home Depot management team for their commitment to the public workforce system,” DeRocco said.

Job seekers interested in learning more about careers with The Home Depot, should contact their nearest One-Stop Career Center. To locate the nearest One Stop Center, job seekers can call 1-877-US2-JOBS or 1-877-348-0501 (TTY) or visit www.servicelocator.org.

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