FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 5, 2022
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Tommy Taylor
Chief Executive Officer, United Way of the Cape Fear Area
(910) 798-3900, x105, tommy.taylor@uwcfa.org
OR
Steve Moore
Senior Community Service Employment Program Director
(910) 798-3900, x108, steve.moore@uwcfa.org
UNITED WAY OF THE CAPE FEAR AREA
RECEIVES $603,000 GRANT
Center for Workforce Inclusion awards workforce inclusion grant
for older jobseekers 55+
WILMINGTON (Oct. 5, 2022) – United Way of the Cape Fear Area announced today that that it was awarded a $603,568 workforce inclusion grant from the Center for Workforce Inclusion, Inc., of Silver Spring, MD. Almost 90 percent of this grant – originally from the U.S. Department of Labor – will provide on-the-job training to no less than 101 low-income older North Carolinians living in Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, Onslow, and Pender counties. This workforce inclusion grant will support UWCFA’s operations of its Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP).
For sixty years, the Center has worked with older, low-income job seekers overlooked by traditional workforce programs. Both directly and through a nationwide network of local partners, the Center empowers older job seekers to attain in-demand skills, overcome barriers to employment, and secure employment. Workforce inclusion grants, including those grants supporting the operation of SCSEP, are a critical element of the Center’s mission.
In its 56th year, SCSEP is a cornerstone program of the Older Americans Act and the only federal job training program targeted exclusively to low-income, older jobseekers. Job seekers who participate in SCSEP become skilled, reskilled and/or upskilled to meet the local employment needs in their community.
“Older adults will soon be the largest single segment of the American workforce,” said Gary A. Officer, Center for Workforce Inclusion President, and CEO. “It is an economic necessity that we ensure our older jobseekers are equipped with the tools required to be successful in the workforce. Therefore, I am very pleased to continue our support of the United Way of the Cape Fear Area for the 45th consecutive year.”
In the previous program year that ended June 30, 2022, SCSEP of UWCFA served 100 jobseekers in its five-county service area, providing them paid community service work, skills and job training, and job placement assistance. They provided 62,710 hours of paid community service work to approximately 50 host agencies, including other non-profit organizations and government agencies.
“SCSEP helps local community, faith-based, and public agencies carry out their mission, such as the New Hanover County Senior Resource Center, the Columbus County DREAM Center, Kids Making It, Brunswick Senior Resources, Inc., Smart Start of Pender County, Onslow Community Outreach, and the Wilmington Parks & Recreation Department,” said Tommy Taylor, CEO of the United Way. “SCSEP is providing hope and dignity to low-income jobseekers 55 and older who have the toughest employment challenges. The grant from the Center is essential to our being able to deliver this program in our community.”
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About United Way of the Cape Fear Area.
United Way of the Cape Fear Area mobilizes resources to empower local people working toward leading self-sufficient, healthy lives. For more information, please visit www.uwcfa.org.
About the Center for Workforce Inclusion
The Center for Workforce Inclusion is the only national nonprofit dedicated exclusively to employment for older workers in both the public and private sectors. Since 1962, the Center has provided workforce development and support services to nearly half-a-million older workers. Our mission is to deliver workforce readiness programs that empower local jobseekers, attract employers, and transform communities. The Center provides employment opportunities low-income and other older adults aged 50 and older in 34 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. For 56 years, the Center has operated the Senior Community Service Employment Program and currently partners with a diverse network of local organizations in 12 states. For more information, please visit www.centerforworkforceinclusion.org.
