Older Workers Study

This report provides a snapshot of how SCSEP grantees adapted or expanded strategies to serve older workers in response to challenges faced during the pandemic.

The researchers sought to answer the following questions: (1) How did SCSEP grantees adapt and implement strategies in response to challenges during the pandemic? and (2) What strategies and practices did programs consider retaining going forward, and why? Findings are informed by a scan of relevant literature, interviews with organizational leaders of nine selected national SCSEP grantees out of 19 total national grantees, and a review of grantee documents and progress reports.

Strategies identified by the researchers that they sought to confirm with the SCSEP grantees include:

• Adopting new recruitment outreach, intake, and engagement activities
• Promoting digital access and technology loaner programs
• Providing training remotely
• Adopting new host agency and employer strategies
• Implementing staffing strategies to support SCSEP participants’ needs.

Grantees interviewed also shared lessons related to policies and practices, including how flexibility in program implementation helped them adapt services during the pandemic and how to support digital skills development and access for SCSEP participants moving forward.

(The full report is 42 pages long.)

(This study took place between 2021-2022.)

The researchers identified the following findings relative to the impact of the pandemic on SCSEP:

• Many participants could not return to their Community Service Assignments (CSAs) because supervisors worked remotely, host-agency sites limited in person capacity because of social distancing, or host agencies permanently closed. The return to in-person CSA training varied by service area because of local business closures and local and state health requirements.
• Grantees had limited engagement with partners, such as host agencies, employers, and American Job Centers, because of the closure of businesses and other local organizations.
• It was difficult to provide remote services to participants who lacked the technology or skills to take advantage of these services. SCSEP grantees had to find new ways to provide services to older adults looking for work that lacked digital access and skills.

In addition to these high-level findings, the authors provide "Key Takeaways" in the full report for each of the interview question topics.

The researchers highlighted the following policies and practices for future consideration at the end of the full report:

• Importance of a flexible approach to adapt programs to meet participant needs.
• Additional funding to support digital access and digital skill building.
• Importance of remote training and CSA placements.
• Expanding partnerships.
• Meeting the needs of the most disadvantaged.

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2022
• Author(s): Report: Briggs, A.; Spaulding, S.; Adu-Gyamfi, A. Literature Review: Butrica, B. A.
• Funding Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Justin Venneri
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies