Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Labor Secretary Thomas Perez signed a memorandum last week which commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Workforce Recruitment Program. WRP is critical to recruiting and retaining talent and diversity across DoD, defense officials said. More than 6,000 students and recent graduates with disabilities have received temporary and permanent employment opportunities since the program began in 1995.
The text of the memorandum is as follows:
This year we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students and Recent Graduates with Disabilities. The program has been recognized by the Office of Personnel Management and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as a proven affirmative strategy to increase the representation of individuals with disabilities in the federal workforce. The program is a vital component of our joint efforts to fulfill the intent of President Obama’s Executive Order 13548, “Increasing Federal Employment of Individuals with Disabilities,” signed July 26, 2010.
Since 1995, the WRP has supported federal departments and agencies in recruiting, retaining and advancing individuals with disabilities. The WRP began as a pilot program within the Department of the Navy and achieved such success that it was expanded across the entire Department of Defense. Today, the program is managed by the Department of Labor, with the Department of Defense remaining its largest and most committed stakeholder.
As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the WRP and the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we urge senior leaders to renew their support of and commitment to the WRP. By leveraging this innovative program, federal departments and agencies will both fill essential positions with extraordinarily talented individuals and advance a more diverse and inclusive workforce. The WRP talent pipeline can be hired for temporary assignments and permanent placements. All candidates are eligible under Schedule A noncompetitive appointment authority as set forth in Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 213.3102(u). Please encourage your selecting officials to consider candidates referred through the WRP.