In the course of the pandemic, staff 55 and older misplaced jobs earlier, have been rehired slower and confronted larger unemployment charges than youthful staff, based on an October 2020 examine by The New College for Social Analysis.
These obstacles are particularly daunting for low-income seniors, who might lack the training, coaching or wrap-around sources essential to re-enter the labor drive.
In the event you’re 55 or older and unemployed, a free work-based job coaching program from the Division of Labor can assist.
It’s referred to as the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), and it gives sponsored, part-time group service work to hundreds of low-income American seniors every year.
Preserve studying to be taught who’s eligible and learn how to apply.
What Is the Senior Neighborhood Service Employment Program?
The SCSEP was created greater than 55 years in the past as a part of the Older People Act of 1965.
This system goals to offer sponsored, part-time, group service work and coaching for individuals ages 55 and older with low incomes.
The Division of Labor acquired $402.9 million in funding for SCSEP in 2021, based on the agency’s fiscal budget. It allocates these funds to numerous state companies and 19 nationwide nonprofit organizations.
The SCSEP helps pay the wage of an estimated 56,0750 older People who take part in this system every year.
How Does the SCSEP Work?
The SCSEP is federally-funded and administered by states, which contract with area people service organizations. (Goodwill and AARP are two of the largest).
The SCSEP is particularly designed to satisfy the employment wants of older staff.
Individuals are positioned with an area nonprofit or authorities company and receives a commission to work 20 hours every week.
You’ll receives a commission the federal, state or native minimal wage — whichever is highest.
The federal minimal wage in 2022 is $7.25. So you may anticipate to earn no less than $145 every week earlier than taxes, or about $7,540 a 12 months.
Sponsor companies are required to give you supportive profession providers like resume writing and laptop coaching. Additionally they place you in a hands-on work task with an area nonprofit or authorities company.
This makes SCSEP a “win-win” for older staff and nonprofit teams alike, mentioned Emily Allen, AARP Basis’s senior vp of packages.
“The individuals get hands-on expertise and the group group will get additional manpower to hold out their mission,” Allen informed The PNW.
These entry-level to mid-level group service jobs embrace work similar to studying learn how to function the ordering system at a meals financial institution or answering telephones at your native Council on Growing older.
Allen mentioned roles like this give staff present work expertise, which is enticing to potential employers.
“It’s typically simpler to discover a job when you’ve a job,” Allen mentioned. “Program individuals are actively working in an task, and that actually speaks to an employer.”
While you’re not within the area, organizations like AARP work one-on-one with SCSEP individuals to determine their abilities and profession aims.
“We focus quite a bit on creating the tender abilities and digital abilities they should search for and procure employment,” Allen mentioned.
The purpose of the SCSEP is to function a bridge to full-time, unsubsidized work.
In different phrases, your SCSEP gig gained’t final eternally. Allen mentioned individuals normally keep in this system for a couple of 12 months.
Nonetheless, many companies go on to rent SCSEP staff as full-time staff. Even when they don’t, you may take the talents you realized to get a everlasting place someplace else.
Who Is Eligible?
You’ll want to satisfy sure standards to qualify for the SCSEP.
To be eligible, you need to:
- Be no less than 55 years outdated.
- Be unemployed.
- Have a household revenue of not more than 125% of the federal poverty degree.
In 2022, 125% of the U.S. poverty degree is $16,100 a 12 months for a single individual or $21,775 a 12 months for a family of two individuals.
You possibly can examine to see in case your family meets 125% of the poverty threshold through the use of this tool on Advantages.gov.
Bear in mind: Revenue from sure authorities advantages doesn’t rely for SCSEP eligibility functions.
For instance, any SSI or Social Safety Incapacity funds you obtain aren’t included as revenue, and neither is 25% of your Social Safety retirement advantages.
In line with the Division of Labor’s web site, SCSEP offers employment precedence to the next demographics:
- Veterans and certified spouses
- People ages 65 and older
- Folks with disabilities
- Residents of rural areas
- People who find themselves homeless or vulnerable to turning into homeless
How the SCSEP Works in Your Space
You should use the Older Worker Program Finder instrument on the federal CareerOneStop web site to discover a SCSEP location in your space.
Chances are high you’ll discover one. In line with a 2021 Department of Labor report, SCSEP-funded providers can be found in practically 3,000 U.S. counties and territories.
“We at all times need to hold our positions stuffed, so there’s normally a recruitment happening for brand spanking new individuals,” Allen mentioned.
Rachel Christian is a Licensed Educator in Private Finance and a senior author for The PNW.