WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The National Council on Aging (NCOA) began an ambitious program today to create more jobs for low income older workers in several states, thanks to $6.9 million in stimulus funding from the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) under the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Part of the American Recovery and Investment Act, the funds were awarded to NCOA because of its decades of successfully training people age 55 and over for community service work under the SCSEP program. NCOA has been responsible for training and placement of 20,000 thousand people since the program began in 1969.

Currently, NCOA operates programs in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, New Jersey, California and Tennessee, New York, North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana. "These challenging economic times require aggressive action and the SCSEP stimulus funding allows NCOA to galvanize our employment program," said Workforce Development Vice President Sandra Nathan. "We are very grateful for and excited about this opportunity to help older adults keep their dignity, get a job and get a paycheck."

The unemployment rate for older people has surged, according to a March 2009 Urban Institute Report, a challenging reality for seniors who face the intractable challenge of less time to keep their lives intact, as their resources decline. Under the DOL grant, NCOA will train at least 590 low income older adults (based on an income that is 125% of the federal poverty level) in community service jobs through the SCSEP program. An innovative and cost-effective federal program, SCSEP allows individuals to develop the skills needed to find private employment while earning a modest income.

(Read the entire release on BusinessWire.)