Senior Community Service Employment

The Title V Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) provides temporary work experience for people aged 55 and older who meet low-income eligibility guidelines.

Eligible applicants are placed in non-profit or public service community agencies where they receive on-the-job training for 20 hours per week. They have an opportunity to sharpen and develop skills while searching for a permanent job. During their temporary employment, clients work with the directors of the local projects to locate permanent employment either on a part-time or full-time basis. SCSEP's goal is for each of its clients to obtain employment outside of the program.

In addition to providing clients with actual work experience, the program offers participating agencies an opportunity to upgrade existing services or establish new ones. However, SCSEP clients may not be used to displace current employees. Typically, SCSEP clients work at jobs such as:

• activities coordinator
• administrative assistant
• custodian
• data entry clerk
• driver
• food service worker
• mechanic
• receptionist
• secretary
• security guard
• bookkeeper
• daycare worker
• grounds keeper
• salesperson
• teacher's aide 

For the clients, the benefits include:

• help in developing job search skills and in locating a permanent job;
• paid work experience to improve job skills and develop new ones;
• opportunity to establish a current work history;
• yearly physical examination;
• training opportunities.

Employers benefit from the dependability and maturity and life experiences of older workers who:

• work as well as their younger counterparts in most jobs and generally exceed productivity expectations;
• bring stability to the workplace and serve as role models;
• reduce training costs due to their low rate of turnover;
• demonstrate outstanding loyalty and dependability.

For more information, call WorkSource Everett at (425) 258-6300, or WorkSource Lynnwood, at (425) 673-3300.