October 3, 2023

WILMINGTON, DE – Goodwill of Delaware and Delaware County is celebrating National Employ Older Workers Week. National Employ Older Workers Week, held annually the last full week of September, recognizes the vital role that older workers play in the workforce.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the labor force growth rates of those 55 and older are projected to outpace all other age groups over the 2020-2030 decade. Although many organizations realize that their workers are aging, employers are still grappling with how to adequately prepare for issues associated with older workers remaining on the job, those leaving the workforce, or the increasing number of older Americans seeking new employment opportunities.

Goodwill of Delaware and Delaware Counties is proud to continue focusing on building brighter futures in the region by helping people, including our senior population, gain job skills to get back to work.  Goodwill provides on-the-job training experience and permanent work solutions for those 55 and older through Delaware’s Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) in New Castle County. SCSEP is a national job-training program for older, low-income job seekers, funded under Title V of the federal Older Americans Act. Goodwill provides these services to residents of New Castle County on behalf of the state of Delaware.

Participants receive up to 20 hours per week of paid part-time community service job training at local nonprofits or government facilities at no cost to the host agency. This training serves as a bridge to unsubsidized employment opportunities for participants. On September 22, 2023, Goodwill celebrated its SCSEP community partners and the hard work and accomplishments of the New Castle County participants at a celebration luncheon held at The Goodwill Center on Lea Boulevard in Wilmington.

“We would like thank all of the participants and partners that make the success of The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCESEP) possible,” said Eileen Kempske, Goodwill Vice President of Workforce Development.  “This program truly exemplifies the Goodwill commitment to our vision of empowering people, strengthening families, and building communities, all through the Power of Work!”

Thank you to our event partners:
1212 Corporation Inc.
Bellevue Community Center
Christiana Village
Claymont Community Center
Division of State Service Centers
Fair Chance
Flats Phase I
Flats Phase II
Flats Phase III
Greater Newark Boys And Girls Club
Habitat for Humanity Restore
Herring Manor Apartments
Kingswood Community Center
Ministry of Caring
Peoples Settlement Association
RWO BABY
St. Anthony’s Community Ctr
St. Patrick’s Center Inc.
Village of St. John
Walnut Grove Coop
West Center City Adult Center
West Center Place
Wilmington Senior Center Inc
YWCA Home-Life Management Center

About Goodwill of Delaware and Delaware County

For more than 100 years, the mission of Goodwill of Delaware and Delaware County has been to improve the quality of life for individuals with barriers to self-sufficiency through the Power of Work! This mission is supported by proceeds from donations to our retail and e-commerce operations, and revenue generated through our Industrial Services and Staffing Services programs. In 2021 alone, through our Workforce Development programs, Goodwill of Delaware and Delaware County provided more than 9,400 services and served more than 3,000 people throughout the region. For information on our stores, donation locations, or services, visit our website: www.GoodwillDE.org.