Administering agencies, which are selected through requests for grant proposals, place participants in community and government agencies doing part-time work, where the participants are paid the higher of the state or federal minimum wage. Examples of work assignments for SCSEP workers include tax counseling, library services, natural resource conservation and restoration, community beautification, weatherization, and personal assistance.
Who is Eligible?
Applicants must meet age, residency, and income guidelines to be eligible to participate in the SCSEP. First, an applicant must be at least 55 years old to qualify for participation. After basic eligibility is established, an order of priority is applied to determine participant selection. First, veterans aged 60 and older are chosen, along with their spouses. Nonveterans aged 60 and older receive second preference. Veterans between the ages of 55 and 59 are selected third, along with their spouses, and others between the ages of 55 and 59 receive last preference.
Within each of these four preference categories, the following statutory preferences are applied:
- Applicants falling below the federal poverty standard
- Applicants in the greatest need with poor prospects for employment and
- Minorities, Native Americans, and those with limited skills in the English language
What Are the Benefits of Enrollment?
The SCSEP provides a source of income for its participants; however, it also offers an assessment of job skills, on-the-job training, networking with potential permanent employers, the development of a positive work ethic, and meaningful contacts with community members.
For host agencies, the program supplies mature workers. The SCSEP is also designed to help change negative stereotypes of older workers by demonstrating their success in working environments.
In addition to providing community services and training, the program aims to place into unsubsidized jobs participants equal to 30 percent of the authorized positions. Program participants work an average of 20 hours a week and are compensated the highest of Federal, State or local minimum wage or the prevailing wage. They are placed in a wide variety of community service activities at non-profit and public facilities, including day-care centers, senior centers, schools and hospitals. The goal is to use these community service experiences as a bridge to other employment positions that are not supported with Federal funds.
Who Administers the Program?
Several national sponsors administer the SCSEP. The largest of these is the American Association of Retired Persons Foundation. Other sponsors include Experience Works, Inc., the U.S. Forest Service, the National Caucus and Center on Black Aged, Inc., and Senior Service America, Inc..
For an organization to be an eligible host for program participants, it must either be a private nonprofit organization that qualifies for tax-exempt status or a public, governmental agency.
For Further Information contact your local
One-Stop
Career
Center through the Toll-Free Help Line at 1-877-US2-JOBS (1-877-872-5627), click on America's Service Locator or contact your state grantee.