Alexian Brothers Senior Neighbors

For 13 years, Bill Nichols was the director of quality assurance at Marsh Ceramics, and now, at age 85, he still is not ready to sit idle.

He opted to receive job training through a federal program administered by Alexian Brothers Senior Neighbors.
"It keeps your mind active, and it is a great way to get to know people," he said. Mr. Nichols is a computer instructor trainee and said he hopes to find a job working with computers once he completes his training. The program is one of two offered by Senior Neighbors to help senior citizens find employment.  Cindi Crutchfield, program director, said the Senior Community Service Employment Program provides on-the-job training for those older than 55 who face challenges finding work.

"The (Senior Community Service Employment Program) provides civic engagement opportunities to older adults often overlooked due to their economic, educational or other disadvantages," she said. "This program exposes our seniors to new employment opportunities while providing community service." The program allows participants to work up to 20 hours a week learning additional job skills. They are paid a stipend, which Ms. Crutchfield said is the equivalent of minimum wage or $5.85 an hour.  "We prepare the participants in our program to re-enter the work force competitively with updated skills," Ms. Crutchfield said. "Our program offers local employers a valuable resource -- a dependable, well-trained pool of candidates for employment."  Jewel McSpaddin, 64, worked Thursday at the Boynton Senior Center learning skills she hopes will help her find a job. Ms. McSpaddin maintains much of the paperwork for the center's activities and hopes the training will help her find clerical work.  "Things are getting so expensive now that seniors need extra money or extra training for a job," she said. "This is really a great program, and you meet so many great people."  

Another program offered by Senior Neighbors is the Senior Employment Referral Service, which helps seniors find employment in a variety of areas through a job referral service.  The referral program is for anyone 50 or older who is retired or semi-retired and still wishing to work either full- or part time, Ms. Crutchfield said.  Participants pay a $5 fee and are matched with potential employees when an employer notifies Senior Neighbors they have an opening.  Senior neighbors works with about 150 area employers and helps place "mature workers" in job vacancies.  "We simply act as a referral service," Ms. Crutchfield said. "We are trying to keep the participant happy and also find a perfect match to put them into a job where they are serving the community."  Senior employment programs
For more information about Senior Neighbors' employment programs,
contact Cindi Crutchfield at the Senior Aides Office, 755-6123.

Reprinted from AARP Bulletin: http://bulletin.aarp.org/states/tn/articles/chattanooga_program_puts_seniors_to_work.html