Linking Employers and People with Disabilities

U.S. Department of Labor’s EARN program posts between 600 and 800 jobs each month.

By Rob Ingraham

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) has one of the largest networks in the country dedicated to bringing employers and qualified individuals with disabilities together. Launched in 2001, the Employer Assistance and Recruiting Network (EARN) program is a free service for employers with a specific interest in hiring people with disabilities and it currently works with between 1,500 and 2,000 companies and not-for-profits nationwide, explained EARN Outreach Coordinator Michelle McGrath. She noted that the organization posts between 600 and 800 jobs per month.

How EARN Works

As a large, nationwide service, EARN cannot practically attempt to place individual job seekers, but instead works through approximately 7,000 “employment service providers,” around the country. Employment service providers include state vocational and rehabilitation agencies, nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping people with disabilities (United Spinal, for example, is an enrolled provider), veterans groups, advocacy groups, professional organizations, colleges, and universities. Once a service provider is enrolled with EARN, it receives job leads from EARN’s participating employers located within a 50-mile radius of that provider. To find which local service providers are receiving postings from EARN, job seekers can call toll-free or e-mail EARN for a list of providers in their area. If a service provider is not currently receiving EARN job postings they are encouraged to visit www.earnworks.com and enroll in the network. There is no charge to the employer, the service provider, or the job seeker.

Job openings are posted anonymously and when a service provider identifies a qualified candidate in its area, the individual is referred to EARN. EARN screens the candidate for suitability and then refers him or her to the employer. The candidate submits a résumé and it is up to the employer to schedule an interview. At this point, EARN’s role is over and the ultimate decision is between the employer and the candidate.

To keep the process as simple as possible for employers, EARN does not have reporting requirements whereby the employer must disclose which candidates it hires. McGrath said that EARN measures, not candidate placement, but candidate referral rates, or the percentage of interested candidates that are referred to employers for job openings marketed through the EARN program. “We’re typically one of several sources employers use to recruit,” she said. She declined to estimate referral percentages.

Mutual Benefits

McGrath added that the EARN program is continually recruiting additional employment service providers and it is currently looking to form additional partnerships with disability organizations and other potential providers. McGrath explained that EARN helps service providers through a steady stream of job leads via e-mail; access to information and resources on a range of disability employment issues; and a monthly e-newsletter with disability employment news updates, as well as tips and resources to help connect with employers.

For employers, the EARN program gets job postings to a larger network of sources with a single listing and EARN staffers screen candidates for those most likely to fit the employer’s needs, which helps speed the search process.

EARN posts a wide variety of jobs, from entry-level service positions to management-level openings. Currently, about half of EARN’s jobs are professional and technical positions; 20% are administrative positions, and the remaining are service, management and sales jobs.

EARN also provides educational outreach to employers, helping them overcome hesitations or myths about hiring people with disabilities. EARN especially counsels employers on helping co-workers adjust to and accept people with disabilities by dispelling misconceptions, stressing the value and importance of a diverse workforce, participation in community or national activities, and disability awareness training.

EARN also provides a “Toolkit” to employment service providers to help make the case to businesses for hiring people with disabilities. Based on research, focus groups and interviews, EARN says they have identified the following key message points that “resonate” with employers: Hiring people with disabilities can reduce turnover, expand consumer base, provide economic advantages such as tax incentives, and helps prepare employers for future issues, such as the aging work force.

Pathways to Independence

Regarding the issue of turnover, EARN cites Marriott International Inc.’s “Pathways to Independence” program. Pathways teaches people with visual impairments and veterans the skills to obtain and retain a job. After completing a 180-hour training program, successful candidates are placed in full-time positions, with benefits, at a Marriott business division. Marriott’s Regional Worldwide Reservation Center in Santa Ana, California, found a 6% employee turnover among Pathways participants, versus a 52% overall workforce turnover between 1999 and 2003.

EARN is based in McClean, Virginia and is managed and operated by Cherry Engineering Support Services Inc., funded by a contract with the DOL’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. EARN staffers are available from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m ET, Monday through Friday.

In addition to the EARN program, ODEP also offers the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), a toll-free information and referral service on job accommodations for people with disabilities; the employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act; and on resources for technical assistance, funding, education, and services related to the employment of people with disabilities. JAN is a collaborative effort of ODEP, the International Center for Disability Information at West Virginia University, and private industry throughout North America.

For more information on the EARN program, the JAN initiative, and other ODEP programs targeting employment opportunities for people with disabilities, visit www.dol.gov/odep, or call 202-693-7880.

Rob Ingraham is senior editor.