· Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao announced the creation of the Employment Assistance Referral Network (EARN), a national toll-free telephone and electronic information referral service for employers who are seeking to hire workers with disabilities.
· EARN is designed to assist employers in locating potential employees with disabilities in their own geographic area. An employer seeking to fill a specific position may contact EARN with the job specifications. EARN staff will then search a database of local employment providers who may have appropriate job candidates with disabilities and send that information back to the employer. The employer can then follow up directly with the service provider in order to connect with the applicants.
· EARN also offers employers technical assistance. Any subject related to the employment of people with disabilities -- such as co-worker attitudes, tax credits, personal assistance services, disability laws, return-to-work strategies, job interviewing techniques, and recruitment and hiring strategies -- can be addressed by EARN staff.
· The toll-free number is 1-888-695-8289, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST. EARN may also be accessed via its web site.
· The toll-free number and website are separate from America's Workforce Network's toll-free number.