United Way of the Cape Fear awarded $550,000 grant to expand workforce training for older adults
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — United Way of the Cape Fear Area (UWCFA) has received a $551,517 grant to expand workforce training and employment opportunities for low-income residents age 55 and older across southeastern North Carolina.
The funding, awarded by CWI Works, Inc. of Silver Spring, Maryland, will support the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), providing paid job training, temporary employment and workforce development services to at least 92 participants in Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, Onslow and Pender counties.
The SCSEP is the nation’s only federally funded job training program dedicated exclusively to serving older, low-income job seekers. Established under the Older Americans Act of 1965 and administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, the program helps participants build skills, gain work experience and transition into permanent employment while supporting local nonprofit and government agencies.
“We are grateful to be able to empower local seniors to support our nonprofit and government partners and improve our community in a united way!” said Tommy Taylor, CEO of United Way of the Cape Fear Area.
Gary Officer, chief executive of CWI Works, said the investment comes at a critical time as older adults represent the fastest-growing segment of the workforce but continue to face significant barriers to employment.
“Through this grant, we will empower older, low-income job seekers to develop career pathway skills, earn industry-recognized certifications, build digital literacy, and fill critical talent pipelines,” Officer said. “Older workers represent the fastest-growing demographic in the workforce, yet they face disproportionately high rates of long-term unemployment. As the modern workforce is evolving faster than ever before and economic security becomes increasingly difficult to achieve, ensuring that older workers have access to meaningful workforce training and employment opportunities has never been more important.”
United Way of the Cape Fear Area has administered SCSEP throughout the Cape Fear region since the late 1970s. The program promotes economic self-sufficiency by placing participants in paid training assignments with nonprofit and government organizations for up to 29 hours per week. Participants currently earn $12 per hour through grant funding while gaining valuable work experience.
In addition to paid employment, SCSEP provides digital skills training, connects participants with supportive services and offers financial assistance for education and training that aligns with individual career goals.
The program partners with numerous community organizations throughout the region, including Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross, Boys & Girls Homes of North Carolina, the Columbus County Department of Aging, the City of Wilmington, the New Hanover County Senior Resource Center, Pender County government, the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, Onslow Community Outreach and Smart Start of Pender County.
Over the past year, UWCFA’s SCSEP served 72 job seekers, with eight participants securing permanent employment. Program leaders noted those numbers were affected by a four-month furlough caused by delays in funding distribution from the U.S. Department of Labor.
With the new grant in place, United Way officials say they look forward to expanding services and helping more older adults gain the skills, experience and confidence needed to reenter today’s workforce while strengthening local communities.
