SCSEP Helps Older Workers Find Employment

Finding a job in today’s economy isn’t easy. And the job hunt has been particularly difficult for workers age 55 and older.

Older job seekers often face daunting challenges in finding employment compared to younger workers, and studies show that people age 55+ are more likely to remain out of work longer than younger job seekers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 2 million Americans age 55+ are now looking for jobs, more than double the number in 2008.

A November 2010 survey by Boston College’s Sloan Center on Aging & Work and the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University found that 84 percent of workers age 55+ who were unemployed in August 2009 were still unemployed in March 2010, while 67 percent of older job seekers included in the survey reported looking for work longer than a year.

One place older workers can turn for help is the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), a federally funded program that helps low-income unemployed people age 55+ find work.

SCSEP places program participants in part-time jobs with non-profit and public-sector organizations, where they can build new skills or improve the ones they have while earning a modest income. The goal for most participants is to use SCSEP as a stepping-stone toward more permanent employment. Participants may stay in the program for up to four years.

Founded in 1965, SCSEP is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor. In San Francisco and Marin counties, the program is managed by Family Service Agency of San Francisco, one of the city’s oldest non-profit social service providers. FSA operates the program as a sub-grantee of the National Council on Aging (NCOA).

The local SCSEP currently has about 140 participants, according to Roxanne Murray, director of the program in San Francisco and Marin. “The profile of our participants has changed as a result of shifts in the economy,” says Murray. “Many of the people we see now have experienced layoffs, and many have encountered ageism a barrier to finding new jobs.

“A lot more of our participants are in their 50s and early 60s than in the past,” adds Murray. ‘These people are too young for Social Security. They are motivated to find jobs.”

Marilyn Crappel fits that description. The San Francisco resident came to SCSEP in late 2009, at age 55, feeling “highly motivated to find paid work” after spending two years taking care of her ill mother and working as a volunteer. Crappel was laid off in 2007 by Bank of America, where she worked for several years as an assistant vice president specializing in documentation and records auditing.

Crappel now works as an intake specialist at SCSEP’s San Francisco office on Market Street, and credits the program with tapping her experience and helping her develop teaching and training skills she hopes to use in future jobs. “I’d like to work as a counselor or teacher,” she says. “It makes me feel good to help other people.”

To be eligible for SCSEP, an individual must be at least 55 years old, unemployed and have income that’s no more that 25 percent above the federal poverty level. Many new participants receive income from SSI or General Assistance. Priority is given to applicants over age 60, veterans, American Indians, members of minority groups and people with limited English.

“Individuals come to the program with varying levels of skill and experience,” explains Murray. “Some people come to us with well-developed job skills, while others are beginners. Many haven’t been in the job market for years.”

The first step for prospective participants is to schedule an intake interview at SCSEP’s main San Francisco office at 870 Market Street, or at one of the program’s satellite locations in San Francisco or Marin County. To increase accessibility in largely low-income southeastern San Francisco, SCSEP opened an office earlier this year on Sunnydale Avenue in Visitacion Valley.

“One of the first things we do is a holistic assessment. We want to make sure the person is really committed and understands what the SCSEP program is,” says Murray.

“We try to consider all the things that may affect a person’s job-readiness, including their family situation or whether they’re facing a home foreclosure,” continues Murray. “Learning about the person’s needs and the kind of jobs they are looking for helps us make the right referrals.”

Once the assessment is complete, participants are paired with an organization, called a host training site, that has partnered with SCSEP. Most are non-profit or public sector organizations, but there are also some for-profit companies. The San Francisco and Marin SCSEP currently has relationships with 35 host training sites.

“Our collaborative relationships with host organizations are critical to the success of our program,” explains Murray. “We hold the organizations accountable to make sure they are providing the kind of training and legitimate work experience people need to find employment and to live the quality lives they deserve.”

SCSEP participants work 20 hours a week and are paid at the highest federal, state or local minimum wage – which is $9.92 per hour in San Francisco and $8 per hour in Marin County. Participant wages are paid by the US Department of Labor. If a host training organization likes a SCSEP employee, they may hire the person on a permanent basis

After a participant graduates from the program, SCSEP offers to provide on-going support and monitoring for up to one year, to help ensure a smooth transition.

Murray attributes much of program’s success to “the fact that older workers are a viable resource. They are often disenfranchised or overlooked or discriminated against in the workplace, but they bring skills and experience and information that are invaluable.”

For general information about the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), see the U.S. Department of Labor Employment & Training Administration’s website at www.doleta.gov/seniors. To contact the SCSEP of San Francisco and Marin County, or to schedule an interview appointment, phone (415) 982-7007. No walk-ins are permitted. An online SCSEP eligibility calculator is available at www.aging.ca.gov/programs/scsep_calculator_final.asp.

(This article originally appeared in the Spring 2011 issue of Bay Area Summit)

< Back to "Education"