Employers Can Access Free Database of 2,000 Job Candidates with Disabilities
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, says W. Roy Grizzard, assistant secretary of labor for disability employment policy. At least one remedy is now available. For the first time, employers nationwide can access a free database of approximately 2,000 new job candidates with disabilities.
The Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) for College Students with Disabilities database was compiled by sending recruiters to more than 250 college campuses to interview eligible undergraduate and postgraduate students. Many of the prescreened students are seeking summer internship opportunities, while others have graduated and are looking for permanent employment. At this time, only federal employers can go online at https://wrp·gov/LoginPre·do?method=login to use the WRP database. Private sector and state and local government employers can request unlimited searches by calling the Labor Department’s Employer Assistance and Recruiting Network at 866-327-6669 to access the database or by e-mailing earn@earnworks·com.
The employer sets the criteria for each candidate search by specifying location, degree program, position type, and length of appointment. WRP is co-sponsored by the DOL’s Office of Disability Employment Policy and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Unemployment Rate for Young Veterans Drops
For the first time in more than a decade, the unemployment rate for veterans ages 20-24 fell to 10.4 percent in 2006 from 15.6 percent in the previous year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate for all veterans remained lower than that of nonveterans.
DOL’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) operates a number of programs to protect the employment rights of veterans and to help them gain employment after their military service is up. Prior to separation from the military, VETS conducts employment workshops under the Transition Assistance Program. Young veterans are referred to one of the country’s 3,400 comprehensive One-Stop Career Centers where personalized assistance is available to find jobs and build the skills they need to succeed in the civilian labor force. VETS also conducts outreach to employers through the HireVetsFirst.gov program.
|
Wal-Mart Stores Donates $5 Million to National Urban League for Job Programs Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. donated $5 million in grants to the National Urban League, an organization devoted to empowering African Americans economically and socially. The grants will support workforce development initiatives, the endowment fund, and the Black Executive Exchange Program, which includes a lecture series at the majority of the nation’s historically black colleges. Local Urban League affiliates will receive a $250,000 grant over a 5-year period. The 10 winning affiliates were selected through a competitive process and are: Broward County, Florida; Cleveland, Ohio; Dallas, Texas; Houston, Texas; Hudson County, New Jersey; Los Angeles, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Sacramento, California; San Diego, California; and Washington, DC. As the country’s largest private employer,Wal-Mart employs 225,000 African Americans, and two members of its 14-member board of directors are African American. In 2006, Diversity Inc. named the company among its Noteworthy Companies for Diversity and Top 10 Companies for African Americans. Black Enterprise magazine named it among its 2006 Top 40 U.S. Companies for Diversity and one of the 10 Best Companies for Marketing Diversity. Last year,Wal-Mart employed more than 150,000 Hispanics, 36,000 Asians; 16,000 Native Americans, and 815,000 women. More than 235,000 workers were 55 years and older. The board of directors also includes three women and two Hispanics. |