National Council on Aging helps businesses affected by Sandy reopen by obtaining employees

The National Council on Aging’s Senior Community Service Employment Program currently has more than 235 mature adults who are in training and looking to re-enter the labor force.

Photo via Hoboken411
The NCOA is helping businesses hurt
by Sandy reopen with the help of
older adults who are looking to
re-enter the workforce.

For-profit businesses interested in utilizing the council’s On-the-Job Experience program, which works directly with employers to provide trained and qualified mature workers who are a minimum of 55 years old to fill jobs can contact the New Jersey Workforce Resource Center in Lakewood, which serves all of Ocean, Atlantic, Mercer, Monmouth, Morris and Somerset counties.

“These workers have had a lot of life and business experience. They want to go back to work,” said Roger Leahy, program manager for the Lakewood center. “In these times after Hurricane Sandy, this might help some companies get up and running again.”

The SCSEP will pay the employee an agreed upon hourly rate for a set amount of hours per week for four weeks, as well as Social Security and worker’s compensation. The program will monitor the individual on a regular basis to resolve any issues and guarantee successful completion of the OJE period. Counseling and supportive services will be provided as necessary. The project monitor will prepare all required documentation.

“We have had lots of people come to us because they’ve lost work because of the storm,” said Leahy. “There’s so many people looking for jobs because of the impact of the storm, and so many small businesses have either fully shut down or are not up and running yet. It’s a pretty tight job market out there right now.

“So this is a good incentive to get some people a job, and it also helps out the employer a little bit. It does provide a little bit of a financial stimulus for the hiring company. It’s a good way of trying somebody out before you make a full commitment,” he added.

Adequate supervision and training must be provided to the employee, as well as a safe, sanitary and drug-free work environment. Timesheets verifying the number of hours the employee has worked are required, as well as assistance with the monitoring and evaluation process. Any difficulties that cannot be suitably corrected or that may hinder the successful completion of the OJE should be reported to the SCSEP immediately.

“We really want to use this as a regular form of business ongoing in the future,” said Leahy.

Employers involved with the OJE program must retain the hired employee upon successful completion of the hiring period. Employers are not required to hire those who do not pass the training period. Participation in the program should not displace any paid employee or volunteer presently working with a company.

For more information, visit ncoa.org/, or call 732-367-7111.

— Kelley Anne Essinger