Achieving the American Dream is possible for the senior community
Founded in 1969 in Rochester, NY, PathStone is a non-profit employment program and a paid Senior Community Service and Employment Program that has three main goals for program participants that includes upgrading job skills, helping the participant get involved, providing participants with added income, and achieving the American Dream.
The program workshops teach the best methods for searching for, finding applying, interviewing, and getting the right job for each participant.
It includes an occupational training that helps individuals acquire new job skills or upgrade the ones they have.
The on-the-job training at government or non-profit agencies for 15 hours a week will help earn income and gain real-world experience.
Staff with the PathStone Program helps individuals with job leads to employers in their area who are seeking the job skills acquired.
Participants may also be eligible for free annual physical exams, as well as other applicable supportive services.
Pathstone's Senior Director, Fran Mckenna, explained that the National Senior Community Service Employment Program is funded by the Department of Labor may accept seniors 55 years of age according to their income guideline. The individual must not be attached to a job when applying.
Paid training is a part of the program. Once training goals are achieved, the program helps to find the person a job.
"We work with individuals who need to come back into the workforce but face certain barriers. We try to help them overcome those barriers that are preventing them from going back to work, whether it be age, transportation, health issues, or financial,” Mckenna said.
He further explained that one way to help individuals overcome barriers is to assign them to places such as the Kane Area Community Center, a community service position to learn realworld skills.
For example, he explained that some individuals may want to be in the food service and are sent to hospitals, schools, and nursing homes that have food service positions available. Training is also offered outside the facilities for certification in food service training to gain education on the science end of the food service such as cleanliness and the required temperature of food.
To better understand how the program exists, Mckenna explained that 18 national contractors operate the program within the 50 states. A few examples of grantees he gave were AARP, Easter Seals, and the National Council of Aging. States are broken up by county. County "slots" are determined by a population of 55 and older. The program is operated in 23 counties across Pennsylvania including Warren, Mckean, Forest, and Elk counties.
"The concept is to bring these folks in, give them stability and training, put money in their pocket to get the wolf away from the door so they can concentrate on getting the job skills they need to get back into the workforce."
He said that PathStone works with them (participants) with Careerlink on their soft skills, resume writing, how to look for a job on the computer, how to do a cover letter, and to follow up with an interview, encompassing different angles.
All participants are registered with a host agency or training site. One he mentioned is Careerlink so participants can take advantage of their webinars and seminars.
In the program, participants will be at their training site such as Careerlink anywhere from 15 to 25 hours a week.
"That is where they get the money, the income, and the hands-on experience that they need. That is when we pay them $7.25 an hour, the state and federal minimum wage, whichever is higher. In PA it is the same as the Fed's."
He said the program puts participants into organizations that are also non-profits who think like Pathstone, helping people who need help, guidance and to get them to interact in a community, and do something with an accomplishment that will give them pride and a sense of belonging to a community again.
He said Pathstone can't do this program without the community service agencies and people like the Kane Area Community Center's (KACC) Executive Director, Michelle Palmer. Workers are assigned to non-profit agencies to learn job skills.
"If there is no place for these folks to go and train, if there is no understanding from these folks (community service agencies) as to what these folks are trying to accomplish, if host agencies don't buy in, then we don't have a program because we have no place to put them (participants/workers)."
Palmer, said there are currently two Pathstone workers at the KACC. There is a former KACC Pathstone worker who is now at the YWCA (Young Women's Christian Association) that Palmer talked about.
"She moved to a different position and is now learning at the YWCA."
She added that any training programs outside of the center may be CPR First Aid training, Narcan training, In-their-shoes training, and different trainings that she offers through the KACC. She explained that these additional trainings can help individuals get certificates that may help them get a job once they move on or out of the program.
Being that the KACC has Second Harvest deliveries, workers have food service training.
"That helps them get a job outside of a 501(c) (3)."
The Senior Community Service Employment Program is having open interviews at the Kane Area Community Center on Tuesday from noon to 3 p.m. The main office for Warren, MCKean, Forest, and Elk County is in Bradford. To inquire about paid training and job placement, please call the office at 814-362-1855.