Senior Community Service Employment Program

Senior Community Service Employment Program

The largest program offered by Experience Works is the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). This program, funded under Title V of the Older Americans Act as well as state and local grants, enables us to help thousands of low-income individuals, age 55 and older, throughout the United States.

• Through this program, job-ready seniors are placed directly into employment, while other seniors benefit from training, counseling, and community service assignments at nonprofit organizations and public agencies in their communities, prior to transitioning into the workforce.
• Participants are placed in community service positions at eligible host agencies* for which they are paid the minimum wage for an average of 20 hours per week.
• Nationally, in the 2000-01 program year, Experience Works trained and placed nearly 30,000 Americans-55 and older-in more than 12,500 nonprofit and public organizations in 44 states and territories. They contributed more than 16 million hours of community service while living productive and independent lives.
• Thirty-seven percent of Experience Work's SCSEP participants found permanent jobs, notably as teachers' aides, emergency dispatchers, care providers, and clerical assistants.

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Program Objectives

• To foster and promote useful part-time community service opportunities for economically disadvantaged persons.
  
• Enhance the abilities, skills, and aptitudes of the participants to increase their opportunities to obtain jobs offering improved income and benefits.
  
• Change negative attitudes and stereotypes about older individuals through public education and demonstrated success.
  
• Conduct projects that promote innovative work alternatives, second career training, and the placement of participants into employment.
  
• Gain valuable new skills and experience that help secure meaningful employment and provide valuable services to host agencies and communities.

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Job Training Objectives

• Gain job-related training designed to assist participants in performing their community service assignments and in finding employment.
  
• Develop new skills and upgrade existing skills.
  
• Understand safe work practices and healthful work environments.
  
• Learn effective job search skills and develop good work habits.

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Program Qualifications

• Be 55 years of age or older, and a resident of the state where he or she is enrolled in the SCSEP program.
  
• Annual family income must not be more than 125% of the established federal poverty income guidelines.
  
• Be eligible to work in the United States.
  11/30/01
  

* A host agency is either a private nonprofit organization (other than a political party) that is tax exempt under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue code of 1954, or a public agency operated by a unit of government.

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