CMPDD’s Area Agency on Aging is expanding its Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) through a partnership with CWI Works, Inc. The program gives eligible, low-income adults 55 and older paid training to build skills, gain confidence and get ready for a job.
CWI Works is a national nonprofit with 60 years of experience as a SCSEP grantee, working through more than 50 local partners. As a subgrantee, CMPDD will place participants in community service assignments, such as nutrition sites, libraries and other community organizations, where they earn income while they learn.
Career pathways
Participants can use the CWI Works Career Pathways Model, which ties training to their goals and to what employers are hiring for:
- Office administration: bookkeeping, grant writing, HR and administrative certifications
- Health and social services: medical coding, nursing assistant, child development and vaccination certifications
- Facility management: OSHA, inventory management, hazardous materials and sanitization
- Customer service: retail, call center, scheduling, route driving and dispatch
- Food service: ServSafe, allergy and hospitality, certified restaurant server
How organizations can help
Local nonprofits and public agencies can become host agencies and offer no-cost training placements. Employers can refer job seekers and consider hiring trained participants.
Get in touch
Job seekers must be 55 or older, and income limits apply. Contact Kenneth Judie, Jr., SCSEP Coordinator, at 601-981-1516 ext. 158, or Chelsea B. Crittle, Aging Division Director, at 601-321-2147.
CWI Works’s SCSEP is funded by a $43.9 million U.S. Department of Labor grant, which provides 90% of program support; CWI Works and its network provide the remaining 10% through a $4.9 million nonfederal match. SCSEP is an equal opportunity program. Auxiliary aids and services are available on request to individuals with disabilities.
This story first appeared in the October 2026 issue of Central Update, CMPDD’s quarterly newsletter. Find this issue and past editions on our Publications page.