Senior Community Service Employment Program

The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is a program of the United States Department of Labor, its Employment and Training Administration, to help more senior citizens get back into or remain active in the labor workforce. It is a community service and work-based training program.[1] It does this through job skill training and employment assistance with an emphasis on getting a ready job with a suitable and cooperating company or organisation. In such a setting, the worker is paid the United States minimum wage, or the highest of Federal, State or local minimum wage, or the prevailing wage, for an average of 20 hours per week, and experiences on-the-job learning and newly acquired skills use. The intention is that through these community jobs, the older worker will gain a permanent job, not subsidised by federal government funds.

If you are 55 or older, you can obtain job training and job search services from SCSEP. In each area of the country, SCSEP services are accessed through local organizations. These are usually nonprofits, but sometimes a state agency will administer the program. To find SCSEP services where you live, contact the workforce center in your county.

Experience Works, Inc., a nonprofit organization headquartered in Arlington, VA, is the largest provider of SCSEP services through the United States. Its webpage provides contact information about services in 30 states and Puerto Rico.

Eligibility guidelines

The participant must be at least 55 years of age and from a family receiving regular cash welfare payments or with an annual family income of no more than 25% over the Federal poverty level as defined by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. There are certain exclusions in the income calculation, such as Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).[2]

Enrollment priority is given to persons over age 60, veterans, and qualified spouses of veterans. Preference is given to minority, limited English-speaking, and Indian eligible individuals. Preference is also given to eligible individuals who have the greatest economic need.

History

SCSEP was authorised by the United States Congress in Title V of the Older Americans Act of 1965 [3] and its later amendments [4] to provide subsidized, part-time, community service work based training for low-income persons age 55 or older who have poor employment prospects.

Funding

SCSEP was funded in 2008 at approximately $521,625,000.[5] The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provides an additional $120 million for SCSEP to be expended by June 30, 2010.[6]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ US Department of Labor, ETA, "About SCSEP"
  2. ↑ US Department of Labor, ETA, "Training and Employment Guidance Letter No. 12-06, December 28, 2006.
  3. ↑ United States Code, US Code Section 42 , Chapter 35, Subchapter IX, § 3056 - Older American Community Service Employment Program
  4. ↑ United States Public Law, Amended Public Law for Title V Public Law 106–501—NOV. 13, 2000 114 STAT. 2267, Title V—Amendment to Title V of the Older Americans Act of 1965, Section 501.
  5. ↑ National Council on Aging "Older Americans Act Appropriations"
  6. ↑ Training and Employment Guidance Letter SCSEP, Employment and Training Administration Advisory System, United States Department of Labor, Washington, D.C., March 18, 2009

External links

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