Are you or your loved ones looking for a way to network or start working in the private sector workforce? If so, you might be in luck.
The Workforce Recruitment Program, or 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.
“The WRP is a wonderful opportunity for college students and recent graduates with disabilities,” said Holly Green, the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Japan Engineer District (JED). "It is a great way to get your foot in the door with the Federal Government."
The WRP is managed by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and the U.S. Department of Defense’s Diversity Management Operations Center (DMOC) with support from other federal agencies.
Its primary objective is to provide 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 and overseas, 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.
“WRP has internship options across the whole United States and U.S. Oversea Commands in many different Federal Offices, such as Department of Army, Commerce, NASA, among many others,” Green continued.
The WRP seeks to:
• Function as a primary pipeline for bringing new talent into the federal government to fill mission-critical jobs.
• Provide students and recent graduates with the opportunity to receive career advice through informational interviews with federal employees.
Additionally, applicants for the program must:
• be eligible for the Schedule A Hiring Authority for persons with disabilities AND
• be a U.S. citizen AND
• be enrolled in a U.S. Department of Education accredited institution of higher education on a substantially full-time basis (unless their disability or program requirements preclude the student from taking a substantially full-time load) seeking a degree OR
• have graduated with a postsecondary degree in the past two years (on or after April 1, 2020)
Each applicant can receive an elective informational phone interview with a federal recruiter in October and November each year. The database of applicants is then made available for federal employers to search for one year starting in December.
“The WRP provided on the job working experience, networking opportunities, which I continue to use during my professional career,” Holly mused. “Honestly, participating in the WRP was one of those life-changing experiences for me."
Also available on the website, they can answer questions about the WRP and/or the process to obtain a Schedule A letter.
Student Online registration is happening right now and goes on until late September.
To apply for this year's WRP fall semester please login to https://www.wrp.gov, and click "Student Registration."
For any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Ms. Holly Green at (holly.a.green.civ@usace.army.mil).