Tag: Older Workers

Goodwill Industries® is proud to support National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). This year’s NDEAM theme is, “Profit by Investing in Workers with Disabilities.” For decades, Goodwill® agencies have trained and hired people with disabilities. Goodwill provided employment training and job services to more than 240,000 individuals with disabilities last year. people with disabilities, including youth, older workers, and military veterans. While more employers should recognize the value of hiring people with disabilities, Congress can also do more to increase their employment opportunities.

READ MORE from Goodwill Supports National Disability Awareness Month

In the midst of the wrangling taking place over temporary spending for FY 2012, U.S. House of Representatives and Senate committees that have jurisdiction over final FY 2012 spending measures are working on their respective bills. On Thursday, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bill to provide FY 2012 funding for the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education. That bill proposes to provide $158 billion in discretionary funding for a wide range of programs including several programs that support local Goodwill agencies’ efforts to help people find jobs and advance in careers. The Senate FY 2012 Labor, HHS, Education bill would provide:

• Approximately $2.6 billion for the Workforce Investment Act’s Adult, Youth, and Dislocated Workers funding streams
• $100 million for a Workforce Innovation Fund, a decrease compared to approximately $124 million in FY 2011
• Nearly $450 million for the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), the same amount provided in FY 2011
• More than $3.1 billion for vocational rehabilitation grants to states, an increase from nearly $3.1 billion in FY 2011
• Sufficient funds to maintain the maximum Pell grant award at $5,550.

READ MORE from Goodwill® Urges Smart Investments on the Jobs Front

Before coming to Goodwill®, I was out of work living in Hahira, GA, and struggling just to get gas money to come to Valdosta to look for a job. My primary work experience included auto sales and finance collections — I had 17 years in auto sales and 13 years in finance. To my disappointment, I was unable to find a job in those fields. I began looking at other careers, but my age of 65 seemed to hold me back, as many employers wanted to hire at younger ages. Besides being 65, I’m also a disabled veteran, so there were some physical requirements I was not able to meet for a lot of job openings.

READ MORE from My Story: Johnnie Parker

May is Older Americans Month when Americans take time to show their appreciation and support for older individuals who enrich and strengthen local communities across the country. While many of us recognize the enormous contributions of older Americans, “companies are also increasingly focusing on this segment of the American workforce and are offering older workers more flexible work options and helping them better balance work and family issues," says Deborah Russell, Director of Workforce Issues for the AARP, a nonprofit organization for people over 50. Read on to learn about Goodwill's tips to help older workers find employment and achieve economic self-sufficiency.

READ MORE from Job Searching Tips for Seniors

Today, Congress passed a final budget deal to fund the government through the remainder of the fiscal year that ends on September 30, 2011. If signed by the president as expected, the final deal includes an across-the-board cut of 0.2 percent. In addition, several funding sources that local Goodwill® agencies care about will be further reduced.

READ MORE from Congress Passes Final Budget Deal

The U.S. still struggles to recover from the worst recession since the Great Depression. And unemployment stubbornly hovers near 10 percent. But Goodwill continues to invest the bulk of its revenues into providing services to people who face employment challenges. Federal investments in this work are vital to us. Today, we are asking you to contact your Members of Congress, and ask them to support funding for job training programs. Continue reading to learn more, or take action now.

READ MORE from Urge Congress to Support Funding for Job Training

Today, July 27, 2010, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee with jurisdiction over funding for the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education Subcommittee considered its FY 2011 spending bill. The full Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to consider the bill on Thursday, July 29. While full details are not yet available, sources assert that funding for the Workforce Investment Act’s (WIA) youth, adult, and dislocated worker funding streams would be increased.

READ MORE from Congress Considers Spending for Key Workforce Programs