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The Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM) provides leadership, guidance, and oversight for USDA human resources management programs, establishes human resources management policy, and provides liaison and coordination with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and other central oversight agencies. OHRM programs include employment, recruitment, merit promotion, compensation, classification, position management, employee recognition, employee and executive development, employee assistance, retirement, benefits, workers and unemployment compensation, employee and labor relations, personnel and classified information security, executive resources, safety and health, and organizational development. OHRM also provides staff support for the Secretary’s Diversity Advisory Council and seven employee councils, and provides day-to-day operational personnel services for the Office of the Secretary and departmental staff offices.
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The Department has set an aggressive goal of hiring 9,000 individuals with disabilities over the 5-year period beginning October 1, 2000. USDA is developing a mentoring program with the assistance of the USDA Graduate School, for launch in late 2002. This is a result of the successful pilot conducted by the Secretary’s Advisory Committee for Employees with Disabilities (SACED) in 2000—2001. A Skills Gap Analysis is on target for completion in FY 2002.
USDA has developed an agencywide Career Intern Program, geared to hiring recent college graduates and current employees almost "on the spot.The program should help USDA attract the "best and brightest" for a 2-year intern program with minimal hiring requirements. In FY 2001, USDA hired 8,765 students, representing a 65-percent increase over the 5,320 hired in FY 2000. The increased student hiring is a direct result of outreach at historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal colleges, and other colleges and universities.
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On May 10, 2002, Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman signed the Charter for the Diversity Advisory Council, to provide her with advice on issues raised by the seven USDA employee advisory councils. The Secretary’s Diversity Advisory Council (DAC), co-chaired by the Assistant Secretary for Administration and the Associate Assistant Secretary for Administration, is committed to expanding President Lincoln’s vision of the Department of Agriculture as "the People’s Department." Seven employee advisory councils comprise the DAC: the African American Employee Advisory Council, American Indian/Alaska Native Employee Advisory Council, Asian American and Pacific Islander Employee Advisory Council, Gay and Lesbian Employee Advisory Council, Secretary’s Advisory Committee for Employees with Disabilities, Hispanic Advisory Council, and the Women Employees Advisory Council.
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