Experience Works Helps Low-Income Seniors Find Jobs

Experience Works is a national, nonprofit organization offering job training, job placement, and work experience in community service organizations to mature workers over age 55.

Originally named Green Thumb, this organization was established in 1965 by President Lyndon Johnson (with encouragement from Lady Bird) to provide job placement for poor, rural farmers.

Since then, Experience Works has evolved to include a variety of programs designed to help older workers enter the workforce, find more challenging positions, change careers, or supplement their incomes.

What Does Experience Works Do?

• Experience Works operates the federal government's Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP)
• Receives funding from more than 70 public and private sources
• Has offices in 30 States and Puerto Rico
• Helps more than 100,000 older workers each year
• Operates a total budget of more than $96 million

Experience Works Services
Experience Works helps thousands of low-income individuals in the U.S., age 55 and older. Services include job placement, job training, and job counseling. Experience Works reports that from 1996 through 2006, more than 55,600 low-income seniors found jobs through Experience Works programs.

In addition, Experience Works offers offers unskilled workers experience with community service and nonprofit organizations and public agencies before they transition into the workforce. In 2006 alone, seniors in the Experience Works program provided more than 11 million hours of community service.

Experience Works also offers a variety of technology-training services, including instructor-led and self-paced computer-skills training in classrooms, computer labs, training packages and via the Internet.

Job training is offered via industry-specific programs such as home health care, agriculture, security, customer service, and small-business development.

The Experience Works Prime Time Awards Program is a yearlong effort to recognize the contributions of older workers at the local, state, and national levels, capped by a week of activities in Washington, D.C. Honors include America's Oldest Worker, outstanding employers of older workers, and outstanding older workers from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

How to Contact Experience Works

1. If you are a worker seeking a job, or an employer wanting to list jobs with Experience Works, visit the Experience Works Web site
2. Write to Experience Works at 2200 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 1000, Arlington, VA 22201
3. Call Experience Works toll-free at 1-866-EXP-WRKS (1-866-397-9757)