Opening Doors to Internships and Employment: The Workforce Recruitment Program

By Lauren Karas

Internships can be a prime gateway to future employment, offering resume-building skills and hands-on work experience in a variety of industries. While there are lots of ways to find and apply for internships, students with disabilities at many colleges and universities have a key tool at their fingertips: The Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP).

About the WRP

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense, the WRP links highly qualified college students and recent graduates with disabilities with federal agencies seeking interns and permanent employees.

In fact, since 1995, more than 7,000 students and recent graduates have received temporary and permanent federal employment opportunities through the WRP. I should know: Being a WRP intern launched my rewarding career in public service. But don't just take my word for it. Anthony Baskin, Bogdan "Bob" Vitas, and Julley Yang landed jobs through the WRP at the U.S. Departments of Transportation, Homeland Security, and Defense. You can read more about them and other WRP success stories on the ODEP website. 

How to Participate

1. Check to see if your school participates by accessing our list of WRP-affiliated colleges and universities.
2. Find out if you are eligible to participate. WRP candidates must be current, full-time undergraduate or graduate students with disabilities, or have graduated within one year of the annual release of the WRP database in December. For the 2018 WRP, interviews will be held in the fall of 2017. You would be eligible if you graduated in April 2016 or later. Please note that not every applicant will be chosen for a job.
3. Register for the WRP through your school's disability services or career services office. You'll need to submit your resume and school transcript at that time. The current registration period is from Aug. 28 to Oct. 17, 2017.

I feel so lucky to know firsthand the value of the WRP, as an intern, employee, and now manager of the program. It's my goal that more ambitious students with disabilities use WRP as a pathway to a rewarding public sector career.  

To learn more, go to www.wrp.gov.

About Ticket to Work

Social Security's Ticket to Work program supports career development for people ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security disability benefits (SSI or SSDI) and want to work.

The Ticket program is free and voluntary. It helps people with disabilities move toward financial independence and connects them with the services and support they need to succeed in the workforce.

Learn More

To learn more about the Ticket program, visit www.ssa.gov/work. You can also call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 866-968-7842 or 866-833-2967 (TTY) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. Ask a representative to send you a list of service providers or find providers on your own with the Ticket program Find Help tool.