EMILY DEROCCO
PY 2003
SCSEP ORIENTATION TRAINING
JUNE 2, 2003
SCSEP as a Unique Resource in the Workforce Investment System
- Good morning. Thank you all for being here this morning. This is an extremely important day for an extremely important program.
- SCSEP is the only federally-sponsored employment and training program solely targeted to low-income older Americans.
- As the baby boom generation ages, the demand for employment and training services and income support for low-income older persons will substantially increase.
- The Census Bureau claims that the number of Americans 65 and older still working or looking for work has grown by 50 percent since 1980. In 1980 there were about 3 million people out of about 24 million people over the age of 65, who were working. In 2002 this number has grown to about 4.5 million people - this is about 13 percent of the over-65 population.
- The Urban Institute projects that there will be 1.4 million more economically disadvantaged adults over the age of 55 in 2005 than there were in 1995. Let's face it, while all of us Baby Boomers are ready for retirement, not all of us are prepared for retirement.
- That is going to put increasing pressure on all of us to help this program's participants prepare for and find employment so that slots can be cleared for other, new participants who are equally in need of an income.
- You, as PY 2003 SCSEP grantees, are the critical connection points to the population we have been enabled to serve.
- I am confident that you will bring the commitment and energy to SCSEP to help us meet the challenge of achieving our new GPRA goal--- a 37 percent unsubsidized placement rate program-wide, which will provide services in response to a growing demand.
Opportunities for Action
- It's a new day for OAA, and you have the opportunity to seize it! We have a great team in place at the National Office to help you make a successful transition to the new face of SCSEP.
- Get to know your Federal Representative. He/she is there to answer your questions, provide technical assistance, and guide you through uncharted territory.
- Commit to becoming wholly conversant with the law, the regulations, and our administrative guidance. You are ultimately responsible for running the best possible program.
- Take advantage of every opportunity to work with your WIA partners and the national network of One-Stop Career Centers. Stay informed about the workforce investment system. Find ways you can link with them to better serve your seniors. They may be able to help you do your job better and faster.
Conclusion
- Also, the One-Stop Career Center system needs you. You are in a unique position to provide leadership to the system on how to serve the older worker population. If there is any expertise in the country in this area, it is in this room.
- Your relationship with the One-Stops and the services you provide under SCSEP are vitally important to steering us to greater levels of quality service.
- Again, thank you for coming this morning. What you do is very important. And, as the population becomes older, it is going to become even more important and more the focus of attention as Congress, the Department of Labor and our state and local policy makers struggle to meet the needs of our seniors.
- You have been given a great opportunity to help change lives. But with that opportunity comes responsibility. We look forward to working with you to help make this program all it can be and all it must be to meet the increasing need that we see now and that will continue to grow in the future.
TALKING POINTS FOR DAVID DYE
PY 2003 SCSEP ORIENTATION TRAINING
Introduction
David's focus is more on the specifics of the mission of the program. He can pick up where Emily left off above regarding the new face of the program.
Key Changes Resulting from the 2000 Amendments to the Older Americans Act (OAA)
- In particular, two key program changes resulting from the 2000 Amendments present us with a wealth of opportunities:
1. Coordination roles and responsibilities between SCSEP grantees and WIA have now been clarified and strengthened.
- SCSEP has been a mandated partner since the enactment of WIA. Historically, SCSEP grantees have not had a place at the WIA table.
- Our WIA Reauthorization Proposal supports changes to the current performance accountability system to ensure that local program operators are not driven away from serving those most in need. It also supports the removal of any barriers to serving targeted populations-e.g., low-income older workers-through a comprehensive One-Stop system.
- On a practical level, such collaboration is critical to meeting the workforce development needs of a growing aging population, many of whom will remain in the labor force well beyond traditional retirement age.
- The Older American Act Amendments of 2000 reinforces the partnership between SCSEP and the One-Stop Delivery Syste.
- As such, we challenge you to forge relationships with the One-Stop operators.
- To that extent, the Department is actively exploring strategies to have One-Stops form more inclusive relationships with SCSEP grantees. These strategies will be shared with grantees through administrative guidance.
2. Institution of Performance Measures, emphasizing outcomes and fostering accountability
- The Department is strongly committed to a system-wide continuous improvement approach, grounded upon proven quality principles and practices.
- In establishing and defining the measures, the Department consulted broadly with the older worker community of interest.
- The establishment of these performance measures reflects the commitment of the broad range of entities involved with the implementation of the OAA Amendments, as well as the Department's continuous efforts to align SCSEP outcomes with the WIA performance measures to the extent possible.
- SCSEP has never had true performance measures, only goals. For the first time, grantees will be held accountable for specific program outcomes. Consequences for failure to meet these measures will result in a range of sanctions over the course of three successive years ranging from corrective action to competition of the entire grant.
- Performance accountability will strengthen SCSEP to the benefit of the entire program and its participants.
- In addition, the accompanying reporting requirements will provide us all with an opportunity to showcase our great results to the Congress and other interested parties.
Outreach Efforts
- We are also committed to bringing greater awareness of the program to the communities and individuals we service. We are developing an outreach strategy that should put this program on the map and in the minds of employers.
- We look forward especially to National Employ Older Workers Week as a kick-off to these outreach efforts.
Conclude
- There is a great possibility that the people in this room will be the individuals providing services and guidance to our older workers for the next 3 years.
- You represent the best quality of services that the older workers can get.
- Part of quality means performance measures and the common measures, but it also means showing the innovation we need to aid older workers in the endeavor to attain unsubsidized employment.
- This point is a key challenge to everyone in this room. If you choose to step up to the challenge, we will be in a good position to persuade our investors that we have a service delivery system that can get results with whatever funding amounts Congress gives us.
- This training is the first step towards your acceptance of that challenge.
