This article discusses your role as a Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) School Coordinator. If you have questions, please email WRP@dol.gov.

Without your support as a School Coordinator, connecting students and recent graduates with disabilities to employment opportunities would not be possible. In your role, you perform several key tasks:

  1. Registering your college or university to participate as a WRP school.
  2. Educating yourself and other key staff at your school about the WRP through the materials, resources, and summer webinars provided to all Coordinators by WRP staff.
  3. Helping identify students and recent graduates with disabilities who are interested in participating in the WRP and serving as their point of contact for WRP-related questions.
  4. Reminding applicants about WRP-hosted career development activities and encouraging them to keep their applications up to date during the year.

Step 1: Registering your College or University to Participate in WRP

School staff can register with the WRP annually from April through July on the WRP School Coordinator page. If registration is not currently open, please contact WRP program managers at wrp@dol.gov to indicate your interest.

Step 2: Preparing for the Recruitment Period (Spring and Summer)

Educate yourself

Take time to review the resources/knowledge articles available to you. Familiarize yourself with the WRP process, candidate eligibility, and the Schedule A hiring authority.

WRP program managers will hold webinars for School Coordinators about twice a month from summer through September. The webinars will cover an overview of the WRP, the Schedule A hiring authority, the WRP application process, and more. You will also be introduced to resources like the Job Accommodation Network. You can also ask questions to the WRP program managers and other School Coordinators during the webinars.

WRP staff will send a webinar schedule to all Coordinators ahead of time. You’ll also receive email reminders a day or two before each webinar with the link and call-in information.

Educate your colleagues

Coordinators can start educating colleagues about the WRP over the summer and create an outreach plan to promote the program to eligible candidates. Partner with others on campus—including the disability services office, career center, veterans office, multicultural center, and professors in major areas like STEM, HR, or law—to reach as many candidates as possible. Make sure you include undergraduates, graduate students, and recent graduates with disabilities in your outreach.

Often the WRP is most impactful at schools where career services and disability services partner to promote the program. It’s helpful to have at least one point of contact in each office with a strong understanding of the WRP. With multiple experts on campus, not only are students better served, but the school is also more likely to maintain its registration with the WRP if there are changes in staff.

Also keep in mind that your school may have as many coordinators as it needs, so please encourage colleagues assisting with the WRP to register as a coordinator. Potential new coordinators can submit their registration on the WRP website. Please email wrp@dol.gov if you need further assistance.

Introduce students to the Schedule A hiring authority

Once you’ve gained an understanding of the Schedule A hiring authority through WRP’s summer webinar training and resources, it may be helpful to share this information with students interested in federal employment, even in advance of the WRP application period. All applicants are required to submit a Schedule A letter, which can take some time to acquire, so encouraging students to request this documentation from a provider in advance will serve them well during WRP application season.

Step 3: Student Outreach and Application Process (Late August to Mid-October) 

Student outreach and registration

Student registration opens in late August. School Coordinators will receive an email reminder at that time and should complete the following actions:

  • Broadcast information about the WRP to students and recent graduates and promote the program widely on campus. Make sure to communicate the eligibility requirements clearly, especially that the WRP is for students and recent graduates with disabilities.
    • Visit the “Resources” section of the WRP website for an outreach toolkit that includes a sample email message and posters that you can modify to suit your needs. You may also consider conducting a workshop or information session on the WRP.
  • The WRP application period spans several weeks. Be sure to send out several messages about the program during that time so students and recent graduates don’t miss the opportunity. Reminders are important.
  • Remind returning WRP participants that they must reapply and complete the online application by the deadline to be part of the program for another year. Student profiles do not carry over from the prior year.

Application process

  • Remind students that they will need to submit a Schedule A letter with their application to the WRP. They should begin working with a certifying entity as soon as possible to acquire the letter.
  • The WRP recommends reviewing resumes with candidates before December or referring candidates to your college’s career services for help. USAJOBS now requires federal resumes not to exceed two pages (see the new USAJOBS resume requirements). A strong resume is critical for students to raise their chances of receiving employment opportunities.

Step 4: Career Development Activities and Applicant Communication (November and December)

Career development activities

Each fall, the WRP offers one or more career development activities to its applicants. Information about these virtual events will be emailed to School Coordinators and applicants in October.

Communicating with WRP applicants after submission

Let students know that they should continue updating their WRP application throughout the year, especially with new contact information or resume-building experiences. Remind students to remain quickly and easily reachable by potential employers—if a hiring manager gets a bounced-back email or a full voicemail when they try to contact students, they will move on to someone else.

Make sure your students read and understand the “Important Information for WRP Candidates” article, which explains the job process with the WRP and emphasizes the importance of responding promptly and appropriately to employers who contact them.

Thank you for serving as a Coordinator this year! WRP staff are always impressed with our incredibly dedicated Coordinators and how much you do for your students and recent graduates with disabilities.