[Promotion-technology] Share Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) with Students with Disabilities!

[Kenneth Silberman]

What is WRP?

 

The Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities
(WRP) is a recruitment and referral program that connects public and private
sector employers nationwide with highly motivated postsecondary students and
recent graduates with disabilities who are eager to prove their abilities in
the workplace through paid summer or permanent jobs. 

Participating in the WRP is an excellent way to:

.            Find an internship or permanent position in the federal or
private sector

.            Explore careers in the federal service

.            Gain interviewing experience

The WRP provides students with disabilities in all fields of study the
opportunity to market their abilities to a wide variety of potential
employers across the United States, sharpen their interviewing skills during
a required one-on-one meeting with a WRP recruiter, and gain valuable
skills, experience, and contacts on the job.

To apply for WRP, you must:

-             have a disability AND

-             be a U.S. citizen AND

-             be enrolled in an accredited institution of higher education
on a substantially full-time basis (unless your disability precludes you
from taking a substantially full-time load) to seek a degree OR

-             be enrolled in such an institution as a degree-seeking student
taking less than a substantially full-time load in the enrollment period
immediately prior to graduation OR

-             have graduated from an institution within the past year (April
2016 or later).

Eligible students & recent grads: go to WRP.gov and click on the purple
"Student Registration" button to get started! 

Register ASAP to start your application. Applications, including a resume
and transcript, must be finalized by October 17th.

When you register, please select your school or alma mater as both your
school and interview location. Interviews are conducted remotely, so recent
grads do not need to be located near their campus to interview. If your
school does not participate with WRP, please register with a nearby campus
and then send an email to wrp at dol.gov.

WRP Success Stories

 

Julley Yang: A recent graduate, Julley was in the midst of what was proving
to be a frustrating job search and decided to explore the WRP. She worked
with the University of California, San Diego Career Services Center staff to
submit the required paperwork. Not long after, she interviewed with a WRP
recruiter and was accepted into the WRP database. Her resume caught the eye
of a hiring manager in the Travel Office at the U.S. Naval Facilities
Engineering Command Southwest in San Diego, CA. She was hired as a WRP
intern before being promoted to a management assistant. Julley works with
more than 2,000 civilians at the facility who use the Defense Travel System.
She reviews orders, ensures document requirements are met, conducts quality
assurance, and problem solves to meet individual customers' needs. 

 

Anthony Baskin: Anthony participated as a WRP intern for two years. Anthony,
who is deaf, found out about it when he saw a notice posted at Gallaudet
University during his junior year. He applied, interviewed with a WRP
recruiter, and was accepted. As a WRP intern, he served as an IT specialist
at the Pentagon with the Department of the Navy and then at
Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) with the Department of
Defense. While part of the CAP team, Anthony assisted in checking invoices
and maintaining and updating data and information systems. Anthony says he
is very appreciative of the technical accommodations his employer provides
to help him carry out his job. According to the supervisors and colleagues
who benefit from his dedication and productivity, the feeling is mutual.

 

Daman Wandke: Daman was a WRP candidate who landed a position at a private
sector technology firm, SSB BART Group. Daman serves as a User Interface
Analyst at the firm, helping clients identify ways to make their websites
and other technology applications more accessible. SSB Bart has found that
Daman, who has cerebral palsy, and other technical staff with disabilities
offer new problem solving potential that contributes to the company's
growth. The WRP provided Daman with networking and mentoring opportunities
to increase his workplace knowledge and employment options. Daman serves as
a disability advocate at the state, national, and international levels
focusing on IT accessibility and disability employment. 

 

For more information, go to: http://www.dol.gov/odep/wrp/Students.htm

 

The WRP is co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of
Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and the U.S. Department of Defense's
Office of Diversity Management & Equal Opportunity (ODMEO), with support
from other federal agencies.    

 

Student registration is underway for this year's WRP interview season! We
would like to spread the word far and wide to make sure candidates who are
interested have the chance to participate in the program. To be eligible for
the WRP a candidate must:

*       have a disability AND

*       be a U.S. citizen AND

*       be enrolled as a degree-seeking student at an accredited
postsecondary institution on a substantially full-time basis OR have
graduated from such an institution in April 2016 or more recently.

Registration and applications are due by October 17th. Students can go to
www.wrp.gov <http://www.wrp.gov>  and click on the "Student Registration"
button to get started. Please share with your networks and anyone you know
who may be a good fit for the WRP! We have attached a flyer about the
program with more information for students on how to apply.

Thanks for your continued engagement with the WRP and we are looking forward
to the launch of this year's database in mid-December!

Warm Regards, 

The WRP Team