The Department of Community and Cultural Affairs (DCCA) Office on Aging Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) recently announced that they have been officially awarded over $300,000, which will be used to assist citizens over the age of 55 to seek and obtain employment.
A total of over $300,000 was awarded to the Office on Aging through the US Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (USDOL-ETA). The SCSEP, also known as the Title V program, was created to help elderly individuals seek and obtain unsubsidized job employment within the community. Authorized by the Older Americans Act, the program provides training for low-income, unemployed seniors. The maximum durational limit for each participant is 48 months.
Training sites work closely with the Office on Aging to assist each SCSEP participant in his or her personal development. This includes meeting with SCSEP staff at the site, or in a meeting, to be assessed and/or to develop an Individual Employment Plan. SCSEP participants will then be assigned to a temporary training position designed to prepare them for unsubsidized employment.
DCCA Office on Aging Director Walter A. Manglona said SCSEP participants gain work experience in a variety of community service activities at non-profit and governmental agencies, including schools, hospitals, and senior centers.
“Participants work an average of 20 hours a week, and are paid the federal minimum wage. This training serves as a bridge to unsubsidized employment opportunities for participants. Our office continues to provide a safe and sanitary training environment and training conditions, and continues to give all participants any necessary safety instructions during this COVID-19 global Pandemic. Our main focus right now is to identify potential job placements for our participants and help them land a permanent job. Seniors residing in the CNMI over the age of 55, who are low-income or unemployed, can pick up an application at the Office on Aging in China Town, Saipan, Sinapalo on Rota, or San Jose on Tinian.”
Governor Ralph DLG. Torres and Lt. Governor Arnold I. Palacios thank the US Department of Labor for awarding the CNMI with this funding to provide opportunities for our elderly citizens in the workforce.
“We are extremely grateful to our federal partners at the US Department of Labor for allowing us the opportunity to receive this grant funding which will go a long way to assist our man’amko in the Marianas. This gives them an opportunity to stay active and healthy while earning additional income for their families. We would like to thank Director Manglona and all the staff at the Office on Aging for their continued commitment to serving our most beloved members of our community,” said Governor Torres.
Participants must be at least 55, unemployed, and have a family income of no more than 125% of the federal poverty level. Enrollment priority is given to veterans and qualified spouses, then to individuals who are over 65, have a disability, have low literacy skills or limited English proficiency, reside in a rural area, are homeless or at risk of homelessness, have low employment prospects, or have failed to find employment after using services through WIOA.
For more information, please contact the DCCA Office on Aging at (670) 233-1321.
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