The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is a community service and work based training program for older workers. It was authorized by Congress in Title V of the Older Americans Act of 1965 to provide subsidized, part-time, community service work based training for low-income persons age 55 or older who have poor employment prospects.

Applicants must be at least 55 years of age, resident of Santa Clara County, and have a family household income average for the last 6 months of no more than 25% over the federal poverty level. Enrollment priority is given to persons over age 60, veterans, and qualified spouses of veterans. Preference is given to minority, limited English-speaking, and Native American individuals, as well as individuals with greatest economic need and special employment needs.

If you qualify and are enrolled as a SCSEP participant, not an employee, you will be assigned for an On-the-Job-Training (OJT) position, congruent to your training plan goals, with a local non-profit community service agency designated as a “Host Training Agency”. Participants are placed in a variety of community service positions as an employee-in-training at non-profit and public facilities, including senior centers, nutrition and housing agencies, governmental agencies, schools, hospitals, and library centers.

These positions are temporary training assignments, not jobs, designed to learn contemporary job skills, offer current business references, and to assist the participant to be re-acclimated into the workforce and are a bridge to other employment opportunities that are not supported with Federal funds.

Program participants’ OJT work assignments are an average of 20 hours a week, and are paid the highest of Federal, State or local minimum wage. Our ultimate goal is to move participants into unsubsidized positions to increase their earnings.

Veterans' preference is a part of the SCSEP program and is regulated as a priority when applying for eligibility to become a SCSEP participant. If you believe your veterans' preference rights have been violated, contact your local VETS office.

Council on Aging Silicon Valley will refer both qualifying and non-qualifying applicants that need assistance in finding jobs or other social services (housing, legal, food, etc.) to the local employment One-Stop Centers, the COASV’s Information & Assistance Department at 1 (800) 510-2020 and/or to other appropriate organizations.

Santa Clara County’s three One-Stop Centers for the San Jose work2future program are located at:

• 1290 Parkmoor Avenue, San Jose, CA 95126 – Main (408) 794-1100
• 7800 Arroyo Circle, Ste. A Gilroy, CA 95020 – Main (408) 846-1480
• 2450 S. Bascom Avenue, Campbell, CA 95008 – Main (408) 369-3606

Sunnyvale’s Connect One-Stop Center is located at:

• 420 S. Pastoria Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 – Main (408) 774-2365

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the federal minimum wage for covered nonexempt employees is $6.55 per hour effective July 24, 2008; and $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009. Many states also have minimum wage laws. Where an employee is subject to both the state and federal minimum wage laws, the employee is entitled to the higher minimum wage rate.

Where state or city law requires a higher minimum wage, that higher standard applies.