OPM aims to increase Hispanic recruitment

Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Office of Personnel Management Director Janice Lachance Thursday announced a 10-point plan in which OPM will serve as a model to try to improve Hispanic representation in the federal government.

OPM statistics show that Hispanics represent 11 percent of the civilian labor force, but only 6.2 percent of employees at federal agencies. OPM's workforce is 3.1 percent Hispanic, while other agencies, such as the Small Business Administration, are 9.1 percent Hispanic.

The new OPM plan focuses on developing a larger Hispanic job applicant pool by increasing Hispanic recruiting initiatives, building relationships with traditionally Hispanic schools and offering more training opportunities for Hispanic employees.

"We learned in school that our government represents all the people of this nation," Lachance said at a press conference at the Capitol. "With that in mind, our responsibility is to strive for a diverse and qualified federal workforce that is truly representative of the American people."

The plan encourages OPM managers to recruit widely for positions at all levels, including the GS-13 to GS-15 management ranks and the Senior Executive Service--where Hispanics are the most underrepresented.

The initiative establishes an OPM internship program to provide career opportunities for students who have attended or are attending institutions that are part of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. The interns will start working with OPM at the GS-5 to GS-7 level.

Under the plan, current Hispanic employees will also receive full consideration for leadership training and career development programs. Hispanic Employment Program Managers will monitor OPM's success in reaching out to the Hispanic community, Lachance said.

Congressional Hispanic Caucus member Rep. Xavier Becerra applauded the initiative. "We're no longer sitting in neutral, we're definitely moving forward," he said.

Last year, OPM announced a plan to work with agencies and educational institutions to identify job opportunities for Hispanics. As part of that effort, the Treasury and Interior Departments and OPM donated 25 computer job information kiosks to Hispanic learning institutions across the nation. The kiosks provide information on job vacancies in the federal government, internships and student employment programs.