The Southeast Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission announced on the 21st of May that it received the sum of 288,146 Workforce Inclusion grant from the Center for Workforce Inclusion, Inc. (Center). Nearly 90 percent of this grant originally sourced from the U.S. Department of Labor will offer temporary work for at least 52 older people with low incomes living across Barbour, Coffee, Covington, Dale, Geneva, Henry, and Houston Counties. These older adults will take part with the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) that is the cornerstone program under the Older Americans Act and the only federal job-training program that is specifically designed for people with low incomes and older job applicants.
In its anniversary year, 59 years old, SCSEP promotes personal dignity and self-sufficiency by working. The education and training provided by SCSEP gives in-demand skills to those who are unemployed, older, or poor Americans. The Center is a top U.S. Department of Labor National Grantee of SCSEP is the network of local partners that offer job-related training for those who are 55 or older throughout all across the United States. As of now the Center has provided services to over 500,000 of eligible people employed in permanent positions via its SCSEP program. “Our long-term local and long-term partners are the key to the success of our Center and help provide the tools to educate older Americans to become a strategic benefit for businesses across the nation,” said Gary A. Officer Center for Workforce Inclusion President and CEO. “We are thrilled to continue to support the Southeast Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission for the 49th year running.”
“SCSEP assists our community’s eligible job seekers over 55 learn new skills and refresh their existing ones before they go to work,” said Scott Farmer who is the Executive Director of the Southeast Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission. Through their training facilities, SCSEP job seekers help local faith-based, community-based public and private agencies accomplish their goals for the community, including: Wiregrass Area Foodbank; Wiregrass Area Foodbank; Wiregrass United Way and numerous Senior Centers across different counties and Wiregrass 2-1-1. “Wiregrass Wiregrass 2-1-1 is working in conjunction with the Senior Employment Program for more than 15 years. I’ve been privileged to witness seniors flourish within the programme,” said Marc Cronin the Wiregrass 2-1-1’s Executive Director. Wiregrass 2-1-1. “By taking part with SCSEP, the SCSEP Program, senior citizens are able to re-hone their skills in order to compete in the job market of today. Seniors face a challenging job market, and this program assists them in meeting these obstacles”.
“By participating in SCSEP posts, SCSEP is providing hope and dignity to the low-income, older job seekers that face the most difficult job challenges. The funding by the Center is crucial to providing these essential services for workforce development to our local community.”
Southeast Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission Southeast Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission offers a variety of support to the seven counties within Southeast Alabama (Barbour, Coffee, Covington, Dale, Geneva, Henry, and Houston). The services include: Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) and Pre-K Head Start Pre-K and Head Start; economic and community development initiatives, small-business loan programs, as well as the Wiregrass Transit Authority serving Dothan, Enterprise, Dale County and Houston County.
The article Southeast Alabama Planning & Development Commission is awarded a grants for inclusion in the workforce was first published at The Andalusia Star-News.
