DOL Awards $260 Million For Senior Community Service Employment
Awards of approximately $260 million to 18 organizations will provide on-the-job experience and training to low-income workers age 55 and older have been announced by the U.S. Department of Labor.
The grants, funded through the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), will help subsidize part-time employment and training in community service positions so that older workers can move to unsubsidized, private sector jobs.
The 18 grantees were selected through a competitive process based on the technical merit of each application. As required by law, Asian and Pacific Islander as well as Indian and Native American organizations were among the grantees selected. The variety of award-winning organizations will serve senior citizens in locales around the country.
“Because of SCSEP, America’s low-income senior citizens can leverage the service they provide their communities to upgrade their skills and pursue new opportunities,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco. “Seniors participating in these projects will have access to a wide array of services to help qualify them for positions in today’s global economy.”
The announcement included funding for a smooth transition from current to new service providers, which started mid-summer and will conclude by October 1, 2006. Services to seniors will continue throughout the transition.
SCSEP is the only federal workforce program targeted to low-income older workers. The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration through grant agreements with state and eligible organizations.
The awards are as follows:
AARP Foundation Programs (AARP) $53,100,000
Asociacion Nacional Pro Personas Mayores (ANPPM) $6,200,000
Easter Seals, Inc. (ES) $12,300,000
Experience Works, Inc. (EW) $64,800,000
Goodwill Industries International, Inc. (GII) $8,100,000
Mature Services, Inc. (MS) $3,800,000
National Able Network, Inc. (NAN) $4,300,000
National Caucus and Center on Black Aged, Inc. (NCBA) $10,000,000
National Council on the Aging, Inc. (NCOA) $19,200,000
National Urban League, Inc. (NUL) $6,700,000
Quality Career Services, Inc. (QCS) $1,100,000
Senior Service America, Inc. (SSAI) $38,600,000
SER-Jobs for Progress National, Inc. (SER) $19,400,000
Vermont Associates for Training & Development, Inc. (VTAS) $1,400,000
The WorkPlace, Inc. (TWP) $1,500,000
Asian Pacific and Indian Set-Asides:
National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA) $4,600,000
Institute for Indian Development, Inc. (IID) $1,100,000
National Indian Council on Aging, Inc. (NICOA) $3,500,000
TOTAL: $259,700,000