Durbin Announces More Than $12 Million In Federal Funding To Provide Job Training Services To Unemployed, Low-Income Seniors
CHICAGO – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has awarded $12,219,480 to Chicago non-profit organizations to provide critical job training and employment services through the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). The SCSEP fosters economic self-sufficiency for older, low-income adults by providing tangible job skills training through community service assignments at non-profit and public facilities. Participants are unemployed, low-income individuals, ages 55 years and older with poor employment prospects who will gain access to needed services. These services include orientations, community service assignments, occupational, work skills and aptitude assessments, skills training, free physical examinations, an assessment of needs-based supportive services and job search assistance.
“Investing in job-training programs for older, low-income adults will diversify and expand our nation’s workforce, and help grow our economy from the middle class out. These funds help Americans who want to work find a job, leading to better economic stability for them and their families,” said Durbin.
Under today’s announcement, the following non-profits will receive SCSEP funding:
· Easter Seal’s, Inc.: $9,839,429 in funding to sustain and expand their national and local Business Advisory Counts to facilitate strategies to link every local SCSEP to the workforce development system; develop and enhance their national partnerships and extend these partnerships to local areas; involve sub-recipient networks in leveraging the workforce system’s resources; and continuing to develop Participant Advisory Councils to empower and engage participants to influence the course of service delivery.
· National Able Network, Inc.: $2,380,051 in funding to build on their 36 years of service history with improved, evidence-based training programs that meet seniors where they are to provide them with the kills to compete in tomorrow’s workplace. Every participant will have access to contextualized computer literacy instruction and a portfolio of courses that meet their training and employment goals.
Twenty grants were awarded to 19 national non-profit organizations through the program’s general funds. The grants will support more than 34,000 positions nationwide.