Senior community service employment program helps seniors reenter workforce

By K.D. MICHAELS, Staff Writer

A program geared towards seniors could help some reenter the workforce.

The AARP Foundation’s Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is designed to assist individuals who are 55 years of age or older, and unemployed, that desire to return to work to supplement their income. Candidates must be at a lower-income level, be unemployed and have reliable transportation.

“The participants who enroll in SCSEP are placed in a Host Agency (a not-for-profit business), where they receive training for any number of marketable skills,” explained Cindy Hembree, Employment Specialist for Seniors. “Once the participant is placed in a Host Agency for training, they are paid by the AARP Foundation, so no funding comes out of the nonprofit organization’s bank account. They can use their money for other needs within their establishment and have access to free labor, on their part. The enrollee will receive payment every two weeks, once they begin the program. It does not matter what type of disability, education or other challenges a person may have. This program can work for most seniors and Host Agencies.”

The SCSEP is a 48-month program, according to Hembree. Participants can be placed in job training as soon as a compatible Host Agency is found to match their capabilities.

“Many seniors in the program have found they have much more to offer companies than they had thought, once their training has gotten underway,” Hembree noted. “The Host Agencies are usually very happy with the participants’ productivity being delivered. The types of training SCSEP offers varies tremendously. We have Host Agencies that train for light to moderate office skills, animal husbandry, different aspects of retail, social skills, and culinary arts, just to name a few.” The SCSEP program is relatively new to the area, with an office opening recently at the Missouri Job Center on Branson’s Shepherd of the Hills Expressway. The office covers workers in Taney, Stone, Barry, Christian, Douglas and McDonald counties. Since opening, the program has seen more than 30 participants.

For more information about the AARP Foundation Senior Community Service Employment Program, contact Cindy Hembree at 417-334- 4909 or 417-334-4156, or visit the Missouri Job Center at 2720 Shepherd of the Hills Expressway, Suite B, in Branson.