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Begun in 1968, the Senior AIDES Program is funded under Title V of the Older Americans Act. As a major component of the Senior Community Service Employment Program, the mission of the program is to enable older persons to achieve gainful employment and personal development through community service and training.
The Senior AIDES Program is sponsored by the Southeast Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission in Coffee, Covington, Dale, Geneva, Henry and Houston Counties. The national contractor for the Senior AIDES Program is the National Senior Citizens Education and Research Center, Inc.
The purpose of the program is to provide opportunities for training and employment for individuals age 55 and older with limited incomes. After receiving training and work experience in a variety of areas, older workers are assisted in the transition into unsubsidized jobs in the private sector.
*Must be 55 years of age or older
*Must meet low-income guidelines
*Must reside within service area of sponsor agency
The Senior AIDES Program helps low-income job seekers and their communities by providing part-time community service work and training. 147 local organizations operate Senior AIDES projects in 27 states and the District of Columbia. Over 16,000 Senior Aides annually assist schools, hospitals, child care centers, and other agencies to expand or improve services to their communities.
Senior Aides earn minimum wage while getting the training needed to make the transition to full or part-time employment outside of the program.
Paid work experience allows enrollees to develop their skills. Formal and informal training is given on the job and through job development services, private sector employer initiatives, classroom training, or a combination of these. Senior Aides have received training in:
Computer Literacy Nursing Assistance Clerical
Home Health Care Word Processing Retail Sales
Child Care Air Conditioning & Commercial Driving
Refrigeration
During FY 96-97 four (4) Senior Aides received training and were awarded certificates for completing computer workshops on basic keyboarding and word processing. Two Senior Aides completed sessions on Microsoft Works Spreadsheets.
Senior AIDES Projects provide training and job search assistance to help enrollees find employment in the private sector. The national program has a goal to assist 25 percent of the more than 16,000 Senior Aides employed annually to find jobs. During the 96-97 project year, 20 Senior Aides enrolled in the SEARP&DC project and one non-enrollee were assisted in finding employment outside of the program.
Ten (10) Senior Aide placements were made possible through their assignments and the coordinated efforts of the Project Director, Senior Aides and Host Agencies.Transition services for enrollees include:
*Development of new skills and talents toward alternate career opportunities
*Enhanced work experience through exposure to various assignments during enrollment
*Efforts to transfer enrollees into private sector jobs after training
*Annual physical examination
*Personal counseling
*Job-related counseling
*Job-training in experimental programs in the private sector or in coordination with other federal employent and training programs
*Earned wages
*Unsubsidized jobs
*Meaningful employment
*Many other benefits
EMPLOYMENT SERVICES
Low Turnover Rates Ability
Low Absenteeism Desire to Learn
A Strong Work Ethic Updated Skills
Years of Experience Adaptability
A Commitment to Quality
As a non-fee employment service, the Senior AIDES Program has trained, capable older workers available for both entry level and higher level positions. In addition to providing skilled employees, the Senior AIDES Program offers various plans such as the EXTRAide and Parallel Training Programs to transition selected enrollees into unsubsidized employment by paying for on-the-job training and a portion of initial wages.
For more information on the Senior AIDES Program, contact Barbara Coleman, Project Director, at (334) 794-4093 or 1-800-489-7606, ext. 114.
