College students and recent graduates with disabilities can take advantage of a federal program placing them in summer or permanent jobs.

The Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) connects private and public employers across the country with college freshmen to graduate students in all majors. Created in 1995, the WRP has connected almost 4,500 students and recent graduates with internships and full-time positions.

Eligibility for Disability Work Program
In order to qualify for the program, the following criteria must be met:

•    Have a disability that is substantial
•    Be a citizen of the U.S.
•    Be currently enrolled full-time in college or university with the intent to get a degree (unless the student can’t go fulltime due to the nature of the disability) OR
•    Be enrolled as above but with less than a full-time course load in the semester immediately prior to graduation, OR
•    Have graduated from an institution of higher learning within the past year

Disability Work Program Opportunities
Eligible students can benefit from the program in several ways:

•    Interface with multiple employers across the country
•    Learn necessary interviewing skills with their WRP campus recruiter
•    Acquire job experience, references and skills
•    Show employers that hiring students with disabilities is a win-win situation

College and University Benefits
Participating in WRP is an excellent way for schools to:

•    Combine the resources of disability and career services to promote their students with disabilities
•    Place students with disabilities in internships and jobs at no cost to them, in a proven program with a track record stretching back 27 years
•    Encourage personal and professional maturation of their students with disabilities

Disability Jobs Calendar
The Workforce Recruitment Program follows an annual timeline:

•    Recruitment visits to schools are confirmed by mid-September
•    Campus visits, including personal interviews with every student, take place from the middle of January to mid-February
•    Information compiled from student visits is released to potential employers in late March
•    Profiles are accessible for a year, during which time interested employers make contact with applicants

Currently, close to 200 colleges and universities participate in the program, according to Paul Meyer, acting staff director for the project. But that number could increase substantially. Any school with a minimum of eight interested students can be added.

Eligible students can send a link to this article to their school’s disability services or career services coordinator, and ask staff to contact the WRP coordinator at 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room S-1303 Washington, DC 20210; (202) 693-7880 Voice; (202) 693-7881 TTY; or (202) 693-7888 Fax.