Washington, DC - U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) officially opened a new, state of the art, facility for OPM's Veterans Employment Program Office (VEPO). The VEPO is dedicated to assisting veterans, transitioning service members, and military family members who are seeking employment at OPM. The opening of this office comes in response to Executive Order (EO) 13518 which established the Veterans Employment Initiative. To support the initiative, the EO required 24 agencies, including all Cabinet-level agencies and select Independent agencies, to establish a VEPO to enhance employment opportunities for veterans.  

"Employing veterans in the Federal government is very important to the Obama Administration and to me personally," said OPM Director John Berry. "We've made substantial progress, but have only begun to move the needle. OPM's VEPO will undoubtedly help some of these veterans find employment here in OPM or elsewhere in the Federal government. We will not rest until all of them have the opportunity to match up their skills to our jobs, apply, and get the consideration they've earned."

In March 2010, VEPOs were established and operational in OPM and 23 other agencies, as required by EO 13518. Today, OPM's VEPO officially moved to its new facility. The goal of OPM's VEPO is to match veterans with jobs within OPM and support Government-wide efforts to improve employment opportunities for veterans.

The OPM VEPO team will provide assistance to veterans who are seeking help with Federal resume building, military to civilian skills translation, and counseling on navigating USAJOBS.gov. The office also will answer questions involving veterans' preference and special appointing authorities to provide a better understanding of how these mechanisms facilitate the hiring process. If a transitioning service member visits any Federal agency, the agency VEPO acts as their point of contact. The 24 agency VEPOs work together to refer resumes from transitioning service members and spouses that are good fits for open positions within individual agencies.

The VEPO office space was planned and designed to provide a full range of support to veterans, including those with a disability. The office is equipped with special assistive technology for veterans with visual or hearing disabilities and all computer stations are wheelchair compatible with adjustable keyboards.

The OPM VEPO is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office is located on the first floor of OPM's Theodore Roosevelt building at 1900 E St., NW, Washington, DC, 20415.