October 12, 2004
Over Five and a Half Million Unique Visitors
To USAJOBS Website From Veteran Participants
Washington, DC - In the year since
U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Kay Coles
James launched the Veteran Invitational Program (VIP), over
five and a half million unique visitors have been guided to
USAJOBS.opm.gov through the program - more than seven percent
of over 76 million USAJOBS unique visitors. In addition, the
veteran's link on the USAJOBS website is the most used link
on the site. Nearly twenty-six percent of all visitors who
click a link on the home page use that link. VIP was created
to tap the veteran talent pool and strengthen the Federal
workforce as well as encourage the use of veterans' preference.
"I have said this many times before;
the government does not give veterans' preference, they have
earned it. OPM simply enforces it," said James. "The
numbers prove there is a vast veteran talent pool that wants
to continue to serve America in the Federal civil service.
It's now the responsibility of every agency head, every Chief
Human Capital Officer and every Federal Human Resource specialist
to make sure they keep America's promise and put these brave
men and women at the front of the line."
The OPM outreach group is currently conducting
seminars nationwide, including a session which explains veterans'
preference and veteran appointing authorities. Other seminars
and workshops cover navigation of the USAJOBS.opm.gov website,
resume writing, interviewing skills and the Federal application
process. One of the key take-home products is the OPM-produced
DVD "What Veterans Need to Know About Veterans' Preference,"
a comprehensive 40 minute video seminar of veterans' preference
rights and eligibilities.
Visits have already been made to Walter
Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC and Ft. Stewart,
Georgia as well as Hampton, Virginia; Albany, New York; Kansas
City, Missouri; Jacksonville and Tampa, Florida and Minneapolis,
Minnesota Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Centers. Additional
visits are scheduled for Ft. Bragg, North Carolina; Ft. Campbell,
Kentucky; Ft. Hood Texas; Camp Pendleton, California; Ft.
Jackson, South Carolina and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
In May 2004, Director James hosted a special
symposium for agency human capital leaders, human resources
specialists, and program managers on veterans' preference
and recruitment. The all-day event focused on advancing existing
policies and strategies to recruit veterans into the federal
work force, and to reiterate that veterans' preference is
the law and not a courtesy.
OPM aggressively reached out to veterans
through VIP which was launched in August, 2003. OPM developed
informational brochures and posters designed to raise the
level of awareness among separating soldiers from the U. S.
Armed Services. These materials were distributed to all major
veteran service organizations and military separation offices
throughout the country.
There are also valuable online resources
including the VetsInfo Guide which provides general information
about how the system works and how veterans' preference and
the special appointing authorities for veterans operate within
the system. Also available is the VetGuide which gives detailed
information about the special rights and privileges that veterans
enjoy in Federal civil service employment.
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