Thanks to a $16.2 million grant to Goodwill Industries International from the U.S. Department of Labor, older job seekers in Marion, Morrow, Crawford & Union Counties will have the opportunity to get critical job training and employment services through the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP).
Marion Goodwill will be helping older job seekers learn new job skills while training at public and nonprofit organizations such as housing agencies, food banks, libraries, schools, senior centers and child care centers. The goal is that they will take the skills they learn in the program to gain employment in the private or public sector for which wages, or wages and tips, are paid that equal or exceed the federal hourly minimum wage.
According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), more than 25 million Americans ages 60 and older are economically insecure — living at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) ($29,425 per year for a single person). These older adults struggle with rising housing and health care bills, inadequate nutrition, lack of access to transportation, diminished savings, and job loss.
As the population ages, older Americans will play an increasingly important role in our economy and America’s leadership in the world marketplace. By 2019, more than 40 percent of Americans over the age of 55 will be employed, making up a quarter of the total U.S. labor force.
“Goodwill builds relationships with employers to help them understand the benefits of hiring older workers,” said Mary Ewing, Senior Employment Program Manager, Marion Goodwill. “Programs like SCSEP enable us to provide the appropriate training to ensure older workers are job ready.”
When older job seekers come to Goodwill, job coaches deliver thorough needs assessments, create individual employment plans, administer basic skills classes and assist in job placement, training and eventual transition to non-subsidized employment.
SCSEP is a community service job training program for older Americans. Authorized by the Older Americans Act, the program provides training for older job seekers who have low incomes and are unemployed. SCSEP participants also have access to employment assistance through American Job Centers. The program provides more than 40 million community service hours to public and nonprofit agencies, allowing them to enhance and provide needed services. Participants train an average of 20 hours a week, and are paid the highest of federal, state or local minimum wage. This training serves as a bridge to unsubsidized employment opportunities for participants.
SCSEP is the only federal workforce program that targets older job seekers with low incomes. The $140 million grant, awarded to 19 national nonprofit organizations, including Goodwill Industries International, helps subsidize part-time training in community service positions so that older workers can gain relevant work experience and move to unsubsidized, private-sector jobs.
To find out more about Goodwill and the services it provides for older workers, contact Mary Ewing at 419-757-4402 or [email protected]. For more information on SCSEP opportunities, visit America’s Service Locator or call the Toll-Free Help Line at 1-877-US2-JOBS (1-877-872-5627).
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