Copiah-Lincoln Community College announced today that it was awarded a $466,977 Workforce Inclusion grant from the Center for Workforce Inclusion, Inc.
Almost 90 percent of this grant – originally from the U.S. Department of Labor – will provide temporary employment to no less than 84 low-income older Mississippians living in Adams, Amite, Claiborne, Copiah, Franklin, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lincoln, Pike, Simpson, Smith, Walthall, and Wilkinson Counties. These older adults will participate in the Senior Community Service Employment Program, a cornerstone program of the Older Americans Act and the only federal job training program targeted exclusively to low-income, older jobseekers.
In its 59th year, SCSEP promotes personal dignity and self-sufficiency through work. The training attained through SCSEP provides in-demand skills for older, unemployed, low-income Americans. The Center, a top-tier U.S. Department of Labor National Grantee of SCSEP, works through a network of local partners delivering career training programs for eligible 55-plus-year-old workers across the United States.
To date, the Center has served more than 500,000 eligible older workers in permanent employment through the SCSEP program.
“Our long-term, local partners are a key to the strength of the Center and provide the systems to train older Americans into strategic advantage for employers across the country.” said Gary A. Officer, Center for Workforce Inclusion President and CEO. “We are very pleased to continue our support of the Copiah-Lincoln Community College for the 51st consecutive year.”
Dr. Dewayne Middleton, President of Copiah-Lincoln Community College, said SCSEP helps the community’s eligible 55+ year-old jobseekers learn news skills and refresh old ones when they are coming back into the workforce.
“At their training sites, SCSEP job seekers help local community, faith-based, and public agencies carry out their mission, such as the Alcorn State University, Copiah County Human Resource Agency, Angel Wings Outreach Center, Aging Gracefully Community Center, and the Copiah-Jefferson Regional Library Systems,” said Middleton. “By working in SCSEP positions, SCSEP is providing hope and dignity to low-income, older job seekers who have serious employment challenges. This grant from the Center is essential to our being able to deliver these vital workforce training services to our community.”
