Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana is proud to continue our recognition of National Employ Older Workers Week, a period to acknowledge and increase awareness of the contributions older workers have in our workforce. This commemorative week also highlights the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), a work-based training program for older adults available across the nation.

The Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) has remained steadfast in connecting program participants ages 55+ with paid, on-the-job training opportunities from local community partners and within Goodwill’s network. These opportunities reintroduce them to the workforce, allow them to practice new skills and open doors for potential career paths. In the first quarter of SCSEP’s 2022 program year, seven participants obtained employment at their training site.

When Jefferson Jones applied for Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana’s Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), he didn’t quite know what he would be getting into. Jefferson knew that SCSEP partnered with nonprofits and worked with people like himself in his community. However, he didn’t know how much he would love this new training opportunity. 

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After 14 years of missionary work overseas, Tim Hudson returned to his hometown of Indianapolis to take care of his parents and provide them with the daily and nightly care they needed. When they passed in 2019, Tim had trouble finding another occupation that could help with expenses. He regularly applied to job opportunities, but his lack of recent work history and age were constant barriers to achieving employment with a life-sustaining wage.

When Vicki Parks of Richmond, Indiana first enrolled into Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’s Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) she was very hesitant about starting over due to her age. However, once Vicki gave the program a chance and began to understand the support that she would receive while enrolled, she realized that it was a perfect fit for her. 

Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’s  Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) has remained steadfast in finding innovative ways to provide valuable learning opportunities to its participants. Through a partnership with Five Star Technology Solutions, SCSEP participants are able to attend weekly computer classes in a socially distanced computer lab to help build their digital skills. 

In 2015, James Hayes was diagnosed with a vision impairment called low-vision, caused by glaucoma and other deficiencies. At the onset of this diagnosis, James was employed by Indianapolis Public Schools but left due to the disease’s progression.

As his vision continued to diminish, James learned to adapt to his new circumstance as best he could by working with other not-for-profit organizations that assisted those with vision impairments. One of those agencies referred him to the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) at Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana. 

What does a program like the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) mean for its participants? For James Maxey (“Maxey”), it means having less stress about money. 

Goodwill’s Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is a community service and work-based job training program for adults who are age 55 and older. In January 2020, Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana was serving over 250 SCSEP participants who were earning money while learning new skills, mastering job search techniques and building work experience to obtain employment, all with the support of a SCSEP Guide.