They are participants of the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) run by the AARP. Participants in the program are at least 55-years-old and looking for income to supplement their pensions or Social Security payments.

When you take on someone from a local SCSEP, the group pays 100 percent of wages, workers’ compensation, and unemployment insurance during the participant’s on-the-job training, which generally lasts three weeks. If all goes well with the initial training, your organization is expected to hire the person and start paying wages. The AARP says it has a placement success rate of more than 50 percent in recent years.

Using the SCSEP program allows you to trim your recruitment and training costs, as well as cut employment advertising expenses. And you're likely to hire senior workers who are experienced. Plus, surveys show that senior workers are less likely to call in sick, have fewer accidents on the job and have strong work ethics.

According to the AARP, the group has placed senior citizens in jobs, such as childcare workers, computer operators, couriers, drivers, groundskeepers, home health aides, library aides, teaching assistants, sales, secretaries and receptionists, among others.

The SCSEP can be a valuable source of employees for your organization. The foundation will post jobs for you, free of charge. If you want to control your payroll costs and add experience to your staff, call the AARP at (202) 434-2277. You can also get more information by clicking here to visit the AARP's Web page describing the Senior Community Service Employment Program.