Training session planned for older workers

COEUR D'ALENE — The five Idaho Commerce & Labor offices in the Idaho Panhandle are looking for older workers interested in improving their job skills so they can find permanent jobs.

Through the national Senior Community Service Employment Program funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, Idaho Commerce & Labor provides unemployed, low-income individuals age 55 and older job training opportunities and the support needed to make the transition to permanent jobs.

The community service employment program allows participants to take temporary assignments at local community organizations, where they learn new skills and update existing ones.

Those community organizations get the help of SCSEP participants at no cost to them because the SCSEP program pays the participants' wages. The organizations must be private, tax-exempt, nonprofit agencies or operated by units of government.

They would include hospitals, senior centers, libraries, day care centers, employment programs, community colleges, social service organizations and public work agencies. SCSEP participants may serve as receptionists, computer operators, health care workers, driver, maintenance workers, library aides, outreach workers, mental health case aides, groundskeepers, nutrition aides and in many other roles.

Participants receive the minimum wage and may work up to 40 hours per week.

Idaho Commerce & Labor staff will provide several services to SCSEP participants such as assessing job skills and interests, helping set job goals, developing employment plans, updating resumes, providing job leads , conducting workshops and one-on-one counseling about job search and employment interviews.

Most SCSEP participants usually stay in the program only a few months before they find permanent employment.

To qualify, individuals must be at least 55 years of age, be currently unemployed, reside in the state where they are enrolled in the SCSEP program, be eligible to work in the United States and be low income.

The program already has helped thousands of low-income individuals, age 55 and older, throughout the United States.

If you are interested in participating, contact Judy Gray in the Coeur d'Alene office of Idaho Commerce & Labor: (208) 769-1558 ext. 3980. People in the Sandpoint calling area may call her toll-free at: 263-7544 ext. 3980.