To promote and showcase the Postal Service as a major competitive employer, critical upgrades were made to the Postal Service Web site at www.usps.com. These upgrades included redesign of the navigational toolbar and placement of a Jobs button on the www.usps.com home page. The redesign provides separate sections for internal and external applicants who want to learn more about available job opportunities and related information. Applicants have a direct link to specific job requirements and information about how to apply for exams.

     The Postal Application and Scheduling System (PASS), originally implemented in January 2001, collects applications for examinations, as well as casual and temporary employment opportunities. PASS has streamlined and standardized the test application process at a substantial cost savings. It protects sensitive application information, reduces cycle time between application and examination, and provides a national Web-based scheduling component with an automated fulfillment process for mailing applicant scheduling packages. Since implementation, PASS has processed more than 12,000 examinations and collected information for casual and temporary openings from more than 1.4 million applicants. Human Resources continues to enhance the functionality of PASS. In fact, in 2003, a new automotive mechanic examination was added to PASS.

     revised documents, Handbook EL-307, Reasonable Accommodation, An Interactive Process, and Publication 317, Manager's Guide to Reasonable Accommodation, are important parts of Postal Service policy to ensure compliance with statutory requirements and to assist postal managers and supervisors in making appropriate decisions in matters of reasonable accommodation. The new materials, Publication 316, Reasonable Accommodation in the U.S. Postal Service, A Guide for Employees and Applicants, and Poster 315, The Reasonable Accommodation Process, address the Postal Service's policy on reasonable accommodation and identify the personnel whom applicants and employees should initially contact to request a reasonable accommodation.

     Given the concerns of the American public, thorough and effective suitability screening has never been more important. During 2003, the Postal Service developed and released a comprehensive suitability screening package to highlight the importance of careful and complete suitability screening and to assist field offices in their screening efforts.

     The Postal Service is piloting the newly-developed Maintenance Skills Development Program (MSDP) in four locations - Houston, New York, Denver Processing and Distribution Center, and Denver Bulk Mail Center. MSDP is designed to provide basic technical skills training to career employees with the aptitude and interest in pursuing a skilled maintenance career path. Assessment exams were administered to approximately 400 employees. Registers were created from qualifying test scores and 59 students began the training program in June 2003. The training sessions have concluded and students who successfully completed the training are in the process of applying for the targeted positions under the Maintenance Selection System (MSS) procedures. Concurrently, evaluation efforts are underway for validation and research purposes prior to further expansion of the program.