Senior Service America, Inc. awards grant directed to assist in workforce training for older workers 55+
South Dennis. (August 19, 2019) – The Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands, Inc. announced today that it was awarded a grant of $319,853 from Senior Service America, Inc. (SSAI). Almost 90 percent of this grant – originally from the U.S. Department of Labor – will provide temporary employment to at least 38 low-income older adults living in Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket Counties. These older adults will participate in the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) a cornerstone program of the Older Americans Act.
SCSEP, the only federal job training program targeted exclusively to low income seniors, promotes personal dignity and self-sufficiency through work. Its temporary part-time community service jobs provide a hand-up, not a hand-out for older, unemployed low-income Americans. The Senior Community Service Employment Program allows eligible persons to participate for up to four years, but the average tenure nationally is 18 months with the experience and training they receive leading them to permanent employment.
SSAI delivers various career training programs for low-income workers 55+ through a network of local partners in 33 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. As the second largest U.S. Department of Labor National Grantee of SCSEP, SSAI operates in thirteen (13) states. In its 51-year history as a SCSEP grantee, SSAI has placed over 14,000 older workers into permanent employment through the SCSEP program. “Our long-term, local partners are a key to the strength of SSAI and provide the systems to train older Americans into strategic advantage for employers and the country.” said Gary A. Officer, SSAI President & CEO. “We are very pleased to continue our support of Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands, Inc. for the 42nd consecutive year.
“This grant will enable us to enroll and place at least 16 new participants over the coming months at non-profit organizations and municipal agencies across the Cape and Islands,” said SCSEP director Laura Roskos. The program currently has participants placed with partners as diverse as JML Care Center, the Cape Cod Museum of Art, and the Lower Cape Outreach Council.
“SCSEP program delivers a triple win for older adults and the whole community,” said ESCCI Executive Director Leslie Scheer. First, SCSEP participants are helping local organizations carry out their missions. Second, older workers are remaining active, vital members of their community. And, most importantly, SCSEP provides a pathway to self-sufficiency through the dignity of work for our most vulnerable community members: low income individuals over age 55 who face the toughest employment challenges. The grant through SSAI is vital to our being able to deliver this program in our community.”
For more information about the SCSEP program serving residents of Cape Cod and the Islands, contact program director Laura Roskos at 508-394-4630.
For more information about SSAI visit www.seniorserviceamerica.org.
About the Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands, Inc.
Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands (ESCCI) was founded in 1972 as a private, not-for-profit, community based organization dedicated to promoting the welfare, enhancing the quality of life, and maintaining the dignity of older citizens in the 22 towns of Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket counties. We are the federally designated Area Agency on Aging (AAA) and the state designated Aging Services Access Point (ASAP) as well as the Aging and Disability Resource Consortium (ARDC) for our three county area. For more information, please visit www.escci.org .
About Senior Service America, Inc.
Senior Service America, Inc. (SSAI) is the only national organization dedicated exclusively to employment for low-income workers over age 50 in both the public and private sectors. During the last five decades, SSAI has partnered with more than 5,000 employers to train nearly half-a million workers. Our services focus on adults who have been traditionally underserved by workforce development programs including older, low-income women, Veterans, and workers with records. For more information, please visit www.seniorserviceamerica.org.
