ETA News Release: [October 20, 2004]
Contact Name: Lorette Post or Deanne Amaden
Phone Number: 202-693-3984 or 415-975-4741
Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao Awards Wailuku Group
$160,000 to Train Older Workers
SAN FRANCISCO - U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today announced a $160,000 grant to Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc. (MEO), in Wailuku, Hawaii, to provide employment and training opportunities for low-income older workers. Today's announcement is part of a $2 million effort under the Department's Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP).
"The Labor Department's program for seniors has thousands of success stories across the country, which shows the immeasurable value of America's older workforce," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. "These grants, totaling $2 million, will connect mature workers with the employment and training resources they need to successfully transition into new careers."
The $160,000 grant will allow MEO to provide subsidized, part-time work in the private sector for Maui County seniors. Participants will be recruited from the current pool of the grantee's regular SCSEP participants, the federally-funded One-Stop Career Center, and the County Agency on Aging.
MEO will provide case managers to assess workers and assist them in developing an Individual Employment Plan and securing employment. Work experience and on-the-job training will be developed with the goal of moving the clients from subsidized to unsubsidized work.
"The Department of Labor is committed to helping all Americans access the tools they need to stay competitive in our changing workforce," said Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco. "We want to build on our success and continue preparing senior workers with the skills employers need as our economy continues to change and grow."
For more than 30 years, SCSEP has served the training and job placement needs of older workers by working in partnership with national organizations and state and local agencies that provide services to senior constituencies.
For more information on the Department of Labor's employment and training programs, please visit www.doleta.gov.
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