Employers Gain Access to Database to Recruit Workers With Disabilities

The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense, today made available the 2011 Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities database. This resource is intended to assist federal and private-sector employers in identifying workers with disabilities.

The more than 2,200 candidates in this year's database represent all academic backgrounds and are working toward, or recently earned, associate, bachelor's, master's, doctoral or law degrees. Students have been interviewed by recruiters from various federal agencies. Some seek summer employment, while others are looking for regular, full-time positions.

"This database is filled with talented students who are highly motivated to prove their skills in the workplace," said ODEP Assistant Secretary Kathy Martinez [pictured].

To take advantage of the new database, federal officials can visit http://www.wrp.gov/ to register and search independently for candidates who meet their hiring needs. They also can track the status of candidates they are interested in interviewing, including whether they already have been hired.

Private-sector employers can search the program's database through ODEP's national Employer Assistance & Resource Network by making a toll-free telephone call to 866-327-6669, or filling out a request form at http://www.earnworks.com/.

More than 20 federal agencies regularly utilize the Workforce Recruitment Program as a recruiting tool, and it has provided employment opportunities for more than 5,500 students since 1995. The program supports President Obama's executive order titled "Increasing Federal Employment of Individuals with Disabilities."

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor
____________________

Easier Invoicing. Faster Payments. AcceptPay® from American Express OPEN®.

DHS Secretary Napolitano Announces New Standards for Private-Sector Preparedness

Department of Homeland Security [DHS] Secretary Janet Napolitano [pictured] today announced the adoption of the final standards for the Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program [PS-Prep] -- a major milestone in DHS' implementation of a program recommended by the 9/11 Commission to improve private-sector preparedness for disasters and emergencies.

"Private organizations across the country -- from businesses to universities to non-profit organizations -- have a vital role to play in bolstering our disaster preparedness and response capabilities," said Secretary Napolitano. "These new standards will provide our private-sector partners with the tools they need to enhance the readiness and resiliency of our nation."

PS-Prep is a partnership between DHS and the private sector that enables private entities to receive emergency preparedness certification from a DHS accreditation system created in coordination with the private sector.

The standards -- developed by the National Fire Protection Association [NFPA], the British Standards Institution [BSI] and ASIS International -- were published for public comment in the Federal Register in Oct. 2009. The adoption of the final standards was published in a Federal Register notice today, following a series of regional public meetings and the incorporation of public comments.

DHS will continue to accept comments on PS-Prep, the three adopted standards, and/or proposals to adopt any other similar standard that satisfies the target criteria of the December 2008 Federal Register notice, which announced the program.

Comments may be submitted to http://www.regulations.gov/ or FEMA-POLICY@dhs.gov, in Docket ID FEMA-2008-0017.

For more information, visit http://bit.ly/PrivateSectorPrep.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Homeland Security
____________________

Be Red Cross Ready. Get the Etón American Red Cross ARCFR160R Microlink Self-Powered AM/FM/NOAA Weather Radio with Flashlight, Solar Power and Cell Phone Charger [Red] Now! [Amazon affiliate link]

May Labor Report Shows Fifth Consecutive Month of Employment Growth; Private Sector Has Added 495,000 Jobs Since December

Data released this morning by the Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS] show that job growth, while slow, is consistently on the upswing. Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 431,000 in May, reflecting the hiring of 411,000 temporary workers for Census 2010. The unemployment rate edged down to 9.7 percent. Private-sector employment showed little change over the month [+41,000], but has increased by 495,000 since December.

"These numbers indicate that the steps this administration has taken over the past year have put the American economy on the right track," said U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. "The most recent estimates from the Council of Economic Advisers [CEA] indicate that the Recovery Act saved or created between 2.2 and 2.8 million jobs through the first quarter of 2010, and helped raise gross domestic product for a third straight quarter. The economy has added jobs in six of the last seven months.

"While we are encouraged to see the economy strengthening and employers starting to hire again, we recognize more work has to be done to ensure every American who wants a job has access to a good job. For the millions of Americans who have struggled to find work in the last year, the economy is still in a recession. As the president said on Wednesday, '[This] will not be a real recovery until people can feel it in their own lives.' The administration is continuing to work with Congress to provide further support that will ensure a rapid recovery.

"We continue to push for programs to help unemployed workers make it through this difficult time. Extending expiring unemployment benefits and health coverage is vital. I call on Congress to extend the unemployment insurance and COBRA subsidy provisions in the Recovery Act through the end of the year. The President has called on Congress to expand the clean-energy manufacturing tax credit, and to help small businesses with tax cuts and a lending fund to help them get the credit they need to create jobs.

"The Department of Labor also has taken important steps to invest in programs that retrain and prepare unemployed workers with the skills and knowledge for 21st century jobs in emerging industries like clean and renewable energy, health care and information technology.

"Many of these programs have been targeted toward populations with the greatest barriers to re-employment and areas with high levels of poverty. Recently, the department made available $90 million to the states for on-the-job training to help displaced workers gain job skills and experiences that will help them secure future employment.

"The economy and jobs situation will continue to be our No. 1 focus in the year ahead. We clearly have much more work to do to get Americans back to work, and the Department of Labor is committed to helping get our country back on track.”

CEA Chair Christina Romer shared her wide-angle view of the just-released jobs numbers. "The fact that the unemployment rate fell and private employment rose are obviously encouraging signs that recovery continues," she noted. "At the same time, the continued high level of unemployment and the slowdown in private-sector job growth emphasize the need for continuing vigilance...

"As always, it is important not to read too much into any one monthly report, positive or negative. The monthly employment and unemployment numbers are volatile and subject to substantial revision. Emphasis should be placed on persistent trends, rather than month-to-month fluctuations."

GoodBiz113's Take
Growth is growth. You can focus on the fact that our nation's unemployment rate is at 9.7 percent, or you can breathe a little easier that employment numbers are gradually trending upward.

We're sharing the glass-is-half-full perspective of GoodBiz113 profilee Life is good® ["Life is good® Festivals Unite Communities, Help Kids Face Unfair Challenges"], who -- just this morning, in fact -- tweeted this timely post: "We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses."

Regardless of what the weather does in your corner of the universe, have a sunny weekend :)

SOURCES: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Council of Economic Advisers [chart], U.S. Department of Labor, The White House
____________________

Life is good Men's 'Half-Full' Creamy Style T-Shirt [Amazon.com affiliate link]