Senior Employment Services

Sourcewise assists qualified seniors who are 55 years of age or older with the opportunity and support needed to obtain employment. Our Senior Employment Services Program operates the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) for Santa Clara County. 

We provide paid on-the-job training to assist you in developing occupational skills, practical work experience, and individual confidence to facilitate your transition to permanent unsubsidized employment opportunities. 

Who We Serve

To qualify for SCSEP, participants must: 

• Be 55 years of age or older 
• Meet the household low-income guidelines (no more than 125% over the federal poverty level during the last six months) 
• Be a legal resident with the ability to work in the United States 
• Be a resident of Santa Clara County 
• Be unemployed and able to work 

Sourcewise Senior Employment Services provides qualified low–income seniors with employment experience and training. We partner with local organizations to provide on-the-job training to assist you in developing contemporary skills and work experience to facilitate your transition to permanent employment opportunities. 

Veterans’ preference is a part of the program and is treated as a priority when applying for eligibility to become a SCSEP participant. If you believe your veterans’ preference rights have been violated, contact the local Veteran’s Affairs Office at sccgov.org/vets. 

Employment Assistance Resources

Senior Employment Services works with a network of community resources. If you are ineligible, we will connect you to local employment resources such as America’s Job Center of California (AJCC) which is coordinated by the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration at the State of California Employment Development Department. 

Let’s Get Started

An applicant interested in joining the Sourcewise Senior Community Service Employment Program should start by calling (408) 350-3200, option 5. Please leave a message stating that you are interested in enrolling into the program, and our Senior Employment Intake Representatives will return your call within one business day. 

A confidential preliminary interview will be conducted by telephone to determine if you are eligible to become a Senior Community Service Employment Program Participant. 

You will be asked:   

• Are you aged 55 or older? 
• Are you unemployed? 
• Are you a legal resident with the ability to work in the United States?  
• Do you reside in Santa Clara County? 
• Are you a veteran or the spouse of a veteran? 
• What is your household income for the last six months? 

Additional information is requested regarding your mode of transportation, employment history, educational background, and interests. 

If you meet the preliminary eligibility requirements, a personal interview is scheduled with an intake representative. You will be advised of any necessary documentation to provide at the in-person interview. 

You will be asked to complete several occupational tests. Our testing process assists in determining skill levels, aptitudes, and abilities for employment. 

Once you are enrolled, you are a “SCSEP Participant.” 

An Individual Employability Plan (IEP) is developed for you based on data collected from the interview and test results. If there are any recruitment or enrollment openings, a training plan (on-the-job-training) will be implemented for you, the newly enrolled SCSEP participant. 

Sourcewise Senior Employment Services Program is not a job placement agency. If you qualify and enroll into the Senior Community Service Employment Program, you, the “SCSEP Participant” (not employee) is assigned to a supervised on-the-job training agency at local nonprofit establishments, and public facilities, including government agencies, and local community-based organizations.  

Assigned positions are temporary training assignments designed to provide training for contemporary job skills and enable participants to obtain unsubsidized employment.  

Participants are assigned to selective training programs (on-the-job training) at one of our host training agencies and usually work a 16-hour workweek. They receive training compensation at the highest of federal, state, or local minimum wage. Our goal is to enable and empower participants to find unsubsidized positions to increase their earnings. 

Senior Employment Services works within a network of resources. If we are unable to accept you into our program, we will connect you to other resources. Often, we are able to connect you to the One-Stop Career Center System, which is coordinated by the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration at edd.ca.gov/Office_Locator/.  

Local Partner Organizations

Sourcewise provides employment services to individuals in Santa Clara County with the help of our partner organizations who act as Host Training Agencies for participants of Senior Employment Services. Our partner organizations are at the heart of our program’s success, and Sourcewise would like to express our gratitude to each of our host training agencies: 

• Catholic Charities Economic Development Services 
• Catholic Charities Immigration and Citizenship Services 
• Catholic Charities Refugee Division 
• Employment Development Department (EDD) – American’s Job Center 
• Heart of the Valley Services for Seniors 
• Second Harvest Food Bank (Curtner) 
• Second Harvest Food Bank (Cypress) 
• Silicon Valley Independent Living Center – San Jose 
• Silicon Valley Independent Living Center – Gilroy 
• Sourcewise Senior Employment Services 

If your organization is interested in becoming a Host Training Agency, call Sourcewise Senior Employment Services at (408) 350-3200, option 5.