BOSTON (Aug. 1, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) New England regional office recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Landmark College of Putney, Vt., a global leader in educating neurodivergent students, to work together to increase national employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
The five-year, non-binding agreement outlines four areas where the partners can collaborate to achieve this goal, including a neurodiversity training program for EPA supervisors, hiring managers and other staff; EPA’s participation in college fairs; and specialized workshops that advance environmental education for Landmark College students.
“This partnership between EPA and Landmark College will help advance EPA’s goal of bringing more diverse talent into the federal workforce,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. “Through this partnership, Region 1 will learn how we can better provide opportunities and understanding for neurodivergent candidates as well as promote environmental education. I’m excited to see the fruits of this work, which will bring EPA new perspectives, ideas, and talent.”
Jan Coplan, Director of the Office of Career Connections at Landmark College, says the relationship with the EPA began last year when Vice President for Neurodiversity Research and Innovation Dr. Adam Lalor participated in a panel discussion about neurodivergent inclusion in the workplace organized by the EPA.
“This partnership significantly broadens our internship opportunities for students in non-technical fields, including life science and liberal studies majors,” says Coplan. EPA is currently in discussion with Landmark about how the college can further provide support for EPA in working with neurodivergent interns and employees.
The partnership with Landmark College will help EPA comply with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which requires Federal agencies to establish programs that facilitate the hiring, placement and advancement of individuals with disabilities and take specific steps that are reasonably designed to gradually increase the number of persons with disabilities in its workforce. Federal agencies must also comply with a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission rule by adopting the goal of having 12 percent of its workforce be people with disabilities and two percent with “targeted disabilities” such as neurodivergence.
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