AARP Foundation Senior Community Serivce Employment Program

What AARP Foundation Senior Community Serivce Employment Program does

AARP Foundation's Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is a federally funded workforce development program targeting unemployed, low-income job seekers age 55 and older. Administered by AARP Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable affiliate of AARP headquartered in Washington D.C., SCSEP has operated for more than 50 years. The program matches eligible participants with local host organizations — including day care centers, senior centers, schools, and hospitals — for part-time paid training assignments averaging 20 hours per week, providing work experience, on-the-job computer and vocational skills training, and professional job placement assistance. Participants receive these services at no cost.

The program's revenue model is structurally bifurcated: 90% of funding flows from the U.S. Department of Labor under the Older Americans Act Title V, with the remaining 10% contributed by AARP Foundation as required matching. For program year 2025-26, total funding was $100,635,511. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on the AARP Foundation website, a SCSEP locator tool, AARP email newsletters, and partnerships with local nonprofits and public agencies to reach eligible participants. The program is delivered through AARP Foundation's 44-person staff operating across the United States, with no proprietary technology platform beyond the locator tool and standard web properties. SCSEP sits within AARP Foundation's broader portfolio of senior-serving programs, including Tax-Aide, Experience Corps, SNAP assistance, and Medicare Savings Programs.

Name

AARP Foundation Senior Community Serivce Employment Program

Legal name

AARP Foundation

Website

https://aarpworksearch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AARP Foundation SCSEP is a federally funded workforce development program providing paid training assignments at community nonprofits for unemployed, low-income job seekers age 55 and older, administered by AARP Foundation and primarily funded by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Senior Workforce Development

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Work-Based Learning Programs (Internships, Apprenticeships, Community-Based Instruction) (EDAKANAF), Workforce & Career Transition Noncredit Programs (EDAAAEAC)

Keywords

• Workforce development
• Senior employment training
• Community service employment
• Older worker training
• Job placement assistance

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding (U.S. Department of Labor): The SCSEP program is primarily funded through federal government grants. For program year 2025-26, $90,571,960 (90% of total program funding) is provided by the U.S. Department of Labor.
2. Foundation Contributions: AARP Foundation provides matching funds to support the SCSEP program. For program year 2025-26, $10,063,551 (10% of total program funding) is contributed by AARP Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SCSEP is a paid job training program that matches eligible job seekers age 55 and older who are unemployed and living on low incomes with local nonprofits and public agencies (including day care centers, senior centers, schools, and hospitals) for part-time community service training assignments averaging 20 hours per week. Participants gain resume-building work experience, on-the-job computer and vocational skills training, and professional job placement assistance to find full-time or part-time employment after training. The program is free to participants and is funded primarily by U.S. Department of Labor grants.

Product overview

AARP Foundation SCSEP is a single unified workforce development program offering paid community service job training for adults age 55 and older who are unemployed and living on low income. The program provides part-time training assignments (averaging 20 hours per week) at local nonprofits and public facilities including day care centers, senior centers, schools, and hospitals, combining work experience, vocational skills training, and job placement assistance. While SCSEP is the primary offering, it operates alongside other AARP Foundation programs such as SNAP assistance, Tax-Aide, Experience Corps, and Medicare Savings Programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) A paid job training program that matches eligible job seekers age 55 and older with local nonprofits and public agencies (day care centers, senior centers, schools, and hospitals) for part-time training assignments averaging 20 hours per week, providing work experience, on-the-job computer and vocational skills training, and professional job placement assistance. The program is free to eligible participants and funded primarily by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Local Host Organizations (Nonprofits and Public Agencies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal nonprofits, day care centers, senior centers, schools, and hospitals serve as training placement sites for SCSEP participants. These host organizations provide work assignments where participants gain valuable job experience while contributing to community service activities. The program benefits host organizations through additional workforce capacity.

Scale indicators2 records

Emerging players

• Generation: Generation is a global nonprofit providing employer-led workforce training and placement services with a similar mission of connecting unemployed individuals to jobs. It has partial overlap in workforce development but focuses on different demographic segments than SCSEP.

Direct peers

• Easterseals: Easterseals is a national SCSEP grantee combining the older-worker employment program with broader disability and workforce services. It is a direct competitor for SCSEP funding and offers overlapping employment placement and supported employment services.
• National Council on Aging: NCOA is a national SCSEP grantee and a broader advocacy organization for older adults, providing workforce development programs to the same target demographic. It directly competes for SCSEP grant awards and offers overlapping employment placement services.
• Catholic Charities USA: Catholic Charities USA is a national SCSEP grantee that operates the same federal program within a broader social services portfolio. It is a direct competitor for SCSEP funding and shares the workforce development focus on low-income populations.
• SER National: SER National (formerly SER-Jobs for Progress) is a national SCSEP grantee operating the same federal older-worker program, with a particular focus on Hispanic communities. It is a direct competitor for SCSEP funding and a near-perfect service-delivery analog.
• Senior Service America: Senior Service America is a national SCSEP grantee that operates the same federal program exclusively for workers aged 55+. It is a direct competitor for SCSEP funding and is the closest pure-play peer in terms of mission focus.
• Goodwill Industries International: Goodwill Industries International is a national SCSEP grantee operating the same federal employment program for older workers in multiple states. It is the most direct competitor for SCSEP funding and offers overlapping job training, placement, and community-based employment services.
• National Urban League: The National Urban League is a national SCSEP grantee running the same federal program for older workers and operates a broader workforce development portfolio for low-income populations. It is a direct competitor for SCSEP grants and serves a comparable participant demographic.
• International Association of Jewish Vocational Services: IAJVS is a national SCSEP grantee operating the same federal older-worker employment program alongside broader workforce development services. It is a direct competitor for SCSEP funding and a comparable service-delivery analog.

Broad incumbents

• AARP Foundation: AARP Foundation is the parent 501(c)(3) that operates SCSEP. While senior to the program, its broader portfolio (Tax-Aide, Experience Corps, SNAP assistance, Medicare Savings Programs) makes it a broader incumbent in income-support and services for older adults.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tweet
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCsbm-Zr-U9SLChtqICzVWPw
• Facebookfacebook.com/AARPFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aarp-foundation-senior-community-serivce-employment-program
• Instagraminstagram.com/aarpfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about AARP Foundation Senior Community Serivce Employment Program