Hanscom participates in Workforce Recruitment Program

  • Published
  • By Richard Salomon
  • Air Force’s Personnel Center Public Affairs
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas – Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is now participating in an annual work program that gives on-the-job experience to college students and recent graduates with disabilities.

The Workforce Recruitment Program connects federal and private sector employers nationwide with job-seeking college students and recent graduates with disabilities. The program is sponsored by the Department of Defense and the Department of Labor.

“At Hanscom Air Force Base we strive to be a model employer for individuals with disabilities and are committed to maximizing opportunities to strengthen their work experience while supporting the mission,” said Carmen Aguiar, 66th Force Support Squadron program manager for Hanscom’s Affirmative Employment Program/Disability. “We are currently working to recruit four students with disabilities to work on base.”

In support of this initiative, the Air Force Equal Opportunity Office works with the major commands and individual bases to raise WRP awareness among managers and hiring officials.

“Each year, the Air Force provides summer or temporary jobs to more than 35 motivated interns with disabilities who are eager to prove their abilities in the workplace,” said Kendra Duckworth, the Air Force EOO Disability program manager. “Our goal is to double the number of internship opportunities this year, so we can increase the representation of persons with disabilities in the federal workforce.”

WRP recruiters conduct interviews with interested candidates from accredited colleges and universities from across the country. Candidates represent all majors and range from college freshmen to graduate and law students.

Information from the interviews is loaded into a searchable database for hiring officials at Hanscom and elsewhere, who can register at www.wrp.gov to review candidates and rank top selections.

WRP internships run from Jan. 15 to Sept. 30 each year and are funded by the Department of Defense at no cost to the unit. If desired and if a vacant position is available, the Air Force organization may convert the intern into a permanent position without a competitive announcement at the end of the internship.

“This is a great program that DOD offers college students with disabilities,” said Donna Desimas, 66 FSS Civilian Personnel officer. “People with a disability can be valuable employees at Hanscom Air Force Base. It’s a great starter program for those interested in working for the federal government.”

For more information about the program at Hanscom, contact Aguiar at 781-225-1405 or by email at carmen.aguiar@us.af.mil.

The Air Force’s Equal Opportunity Policy Office at 240-612-4006 can provide additional information about the program overall. . Interested individuals can also email Air Force Personnel Center’s Civilian Force Management Branch at afpc.dp3fm.civforcemgtbranch@us.af.mil.  

(Editor’s note: The 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs Office contributed to this article.)