Meet Diane from our Senior Employment Program

written by Vera Kea, Meritan’s Senior Job Training and Employment Coordinator

The Pandemic has changed a lot about our day to day-to-day lives.  We have settled into our “new normal” in many different ways and our paces have slowed in order to protect ourselves and others.

As we wait for the threat of the virus to lift, many individuals are working hard to do what they can for the community and themselves. Meritan has continued to serve clients with adjusted processes. And on the same token participants in Meritan’s Senior Community Employment Program have continued their training some from home via workbooks, and at Host Agency sites.

Meritan’s Senior Community Employment Program, or SCSEP, provides paid job training to seniors 55 or older that reside in Shelby, Fayette, and Tipton Counties. Participants in the program receive 20 hours of paid training per week at a non-profit community-based organization. The goal is to help older adults re-enter the workforce and gain financial independence.

Throughout the duration of the COVID-19 crisis, participants are continuing to train. They can continue their progress and be more prepared once we all return to work.  Diane heard about SCSEP through a friend and started with an orientation in early January.  She has not been working for a while and was struggling with transportation.

I had the chance to speak with Diane, who is currently participating in the Senior Community Service Employment Program.  She shared some of her experiences, challenges, and successes as an older job seeker. Here is what she had to say:

Meet Diane

Diane encountered ageism which can come in many different forms.

For example, someone might experience age discrimination when an employer refuses to hire them because of their age. Or, an older employee might be fired or treated differently than their co-workers because of their age

Diane enrolled in SCSEP to launch a new career.  She wants to pursue a career as a clerical assistant and provide financial self-sufficiency for herself and is interested in working with the community.

After Diane reported to her assigned SCSEP training site for three weeks, the stay-at-home order was initiated by the Governor. At this time, The Department of Labor created a plan to facilitate at-home training for participants in the program.

“I am feeling more secure being able to train from home,” said Diane. “Without the program, I would not have an income. I’m looking forward to training at home, and I’m excited to re-enter the workforce.”