The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) provides training and employment services to low-income job seekers age 55 and older to assist them in securing unsubsidized employment in the public and private sectors. Program participants earn while they learn, gaining competitive job skills and refining existing skills through paid, part-time, on-the-job training assignments at nonprofit organizations and government agencies. During training, participants earn minimum wage and provide valuable community services.
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SCSEP serves job seekers age 55 and older who are unemployed, eligible to work in the United States, and earn 125% or less than the federal poverty level annually.
The 2018 Income Eligibility Guidelines provide the following maximum annual income by family unit size:
Number of People in Household | Maximum Yearly Income |
---|---|
1 | $15,175 |
2 | $20,575 |
3 | $25,975 |
4 | $31,375 |
5 | $36,775 |
6 | $42,175 |
7 | $47,575 |
8 | $52,975 |
More than 8 | For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $5,400 for each additional person. |
Some income is excluded from income eligibility calculations. Eligibility is determined by the SCSEP organization(s) in the local area.
Enrollment priority is given to individuals age 65 and older or those who meet one of the following criteria:
SCSEP services include the following:
The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has been designated by the Governor to administer the state’s portion of the program, primarily in rural communities. TWC contracts with a national organization, Experience Works, to manage the day-to-day program operations in 88 counties. TWC provides oversight and technical assistance, manages statewide planning and coordination and the state’s grant application and performance reporting, coordinates with the U.S. Department of Labor, and supports SCSEP outreach efforts.
The following five national organizations provide training and employment services to older Texans in the remaining Texas counties:
SCSEP organizations collaborate with Texas’ 28 Workforce Development Boards (Boards) to provide additional training and employment services to participants. Boards oversee workforce services at Workforce Solutions offices throughout the state. Workforce Solutions services include the following:
SCSEP organizations also collaborate with Area Agencies on Aging and other community organizations to provide support services for older workers. There are 28 Area Agencies on Aging that help individuals age 60 and older, their families, and/or other caregivers locate the community services they need.
The SCSEP State Plan was developed by TWC in collaboration with the five national organizations operating SCSEP in Texas, the Boards, and the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services. In addition, invitations were distributed to over 500 stakeholders to provide comments on the plan.
On March 20, 2015, DOL’s Employment and Training Administration reviewed and approved Texas’s Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) State Plan Two-year Modification for Title V of the Older Americans Act (OAA). The approved SCSEP modification is valid through June 30, 2016.
SCSEP is authorized by the Older Americans Act (Title V), as amended by Public Law 109-365 on October 17, 2006. The U.S. Department of Labor oversees and funds SCSEP.
Statutes & Regulations: