LOUISVILLE, KY. – The Goodwill Industries of Kentucky and its Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) are celebrating National Employ Older Workers Week — September 25 ­­– 30, 2022 — which recognizes the vital role of older workers in the workforce and commemorates the contributions and achievements made by U.S. employees over the age of 55.

In recognition of the valuable contributions made by this segment of the workforce, Goodwill’s SCSEP is proud to take part once again in the annual commemoration. The services across all Goodwill organizations helped provide employment, education and other support services used by over 182,000 individuals aged 55 and older in 2021 alone. Goodwill® is one of only 20 national nonprofit organizations authorized by the U.S. Department of Labor to administer the SCSEP to provide assistance to older workers.

Through SCSEP, these individuals receive paid training through part-time, service-oriented positions in their communities. The program aims to promote community service while helping participants achieve fiscal self-sufficiency. Over the last year, Goodwill’s SCSEP efforts have helped close to 3,000 older adults in each local community. Older adults in the program have contributed more than one million hours of service to nonprofit and governmental entities. In Kentucky, SCSEP has helped over 300 older adults with employment and career services.

“Goodwill is dedicated to providing older workers with the assistance they need to obtain current, in-demand job skills and training to secure employment today,” said Sonya Johnson, career services manager, SCSEP for Goodwill Industries of Kentucky. “Since Goodwill’s inception, the revenue generated from the sale of donated items has helped fund job training programs and community services, including those that help older Americans find meaningful work.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the share of workers in the U.S. workforce who are aged 55 and older has grown from 13% in 2000 to 24% in 2020. Today, more Americans are choosing to remain employed longer and retire later than the once-standard age of 65. Moreover, the current labor shortage could potentially provide a greater opportunity for older workers to enter or reenter the workforce. As these changes occur, employers must evolve to accommodate shifting labor force demographics, while older workers need to keep their skills current.

To learn more about how Goodwill is helping older workers work, visit https://goodwillky.org/scsep/.

About Goodwill Industries of Kentucky

Goodwill Industries of Kentucky is a 99-year-old nonprofit organization that operates in 103 of Kentucky’s 120 counties. The organization is committed to using resources from its 67 retail stores to help build pathways out of poverty for individuals who need a hand up in life. In 2021, Goodwill helped place 2,636 Kentuckians into jobs with 871 of its employer partners and inside its own retail stores. Goodwill uses approximately 90 cents from every dollar generated in its retail stores to operate programs and services that help Kentucky’s hardest-to-serve job seekers build the life they desire.