Senior Community Service Employment Program

Since July 2003, SER National has been funded by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to operate the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) focusing on the training and employment needs of the mature worker. SER currently serves over 3,500 participants in over 250 counties in 6 states. SER SCSEP, in its fourteenth year of operation, is administered in the following states: California, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Texas, and Wisconsin.

One Job at a Time

Funded by the Walmart Foundation

The Wal-Mart Foundation awarded SER National and seven affiliates $1,050,000 to implement a multi-state workforce services program to help low-income individuals gain entry-level jobs in the retail, leisure and hospitality, and services industries in their respective market area. SER National proposed a program that would be implemented by SER affiliates in San Antonio and Houston (Texas), Miami, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; Santa Fe, New Mexico and Los Angeles, California. The national office is implementing the program in Dallas, Austin, and Los Angeles. These sites were selected because they offer workforce services and have a performance track record in the field.

The project entitled “One Job at a Time” will serve 193 unemployed persons in each of two years in the eight sites. In addition to preparing the unemployed for a work readiness and customer service credential and providing financial literacy training the Houston affiliate was also awarded $50,000 to assist persons to qualify for food stamps. All sites are preparing to offer their first workshop in May 2014.

The project calls for coordination with local workforce centers to ensure a collaborative, comprehensive approach to job placement for program participants following their accelerated job skills training course. Take your first step on the path to Career Advancement with One Job at a Time.

One-Stop Career Centers

One-Stop Career Centers are the focal point of the nation’s workforce investment system. These centers – which are an integral, lively part of the communities in which they are located – provide a broad array of employment and training services for workers, youth and businesses, including the mandatory Workforce Investment Act (WIA) partners on-site. The centers give job seekers easy access to a range of assistance options – all under one roof – including training referrals, career counseling, job listings, and similar employment-related services. The centers also offer essential services to employers and businesses. Many of the SER affiliates across the country operate the centers in partnership with local governing institutions. In New Mexico, SER Santa Fe operates 14 One-Stop Career Centers, providing services to half the state. SER also operates centers in Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, and Texas.

Innovative Adult Workforce Programs

Local SER affiliates operate other workforce development programs targeting Hispanics and all other underrepresented minority groups. In Houston, SER of the Texas Gulf Coast is implementing a Pathways Out of Poverty grant focused on creating job skills in green construction trades and providing career pathways to over 400 people who have dropped out of high school or were involved in the criminal justice system.