About Us
Older adults face higher unemployment rates and more barriers to good jobs in today’s market, from age discrimination to a lack of confidence in their digital skills. Obstacles to well-paying, secure jobs can unfairly prevent adults over 50 from earning a living wage and participating in their local economies.
Upskilling Really Matters
Lots of evidence suggests that improving your skills is more important than ever before, especially for older workers who often lack opportunities to get appropriate training. Learn more about an AARP Foundation initiative that reveals just how vital upskilling is, and dig deeper by reading AARP Foundation President Claire Casey’s chapter in a new book about the future of workforce development.
Myths and Facts About Older Workers
Older workers bring value, skills and experience to today's workforce. To showcase the unique strengths and capabilities that experienced employees contribute to organizations, we've created an empowering "MythBusters" resource that champions age-inclusive hiring and helps workers thrive in the workplace. This valuable resource was developed together with the SHRM Foundation. Check out the "MythBusters" resource.
Programs and Services
For more than 60 years, AARP Foundation has been developing and supporting workforce initiatives designed to help older adults with low income return to the workforce or advance to better jobs. Learn more about our programs:
- BACK TO WORK 50+
- Digital Skills Ready@50+
- Work for Yourself@50+
- Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP)
BACK TO WORK 50+
Tamara Burchette says “The classes are so well designed. They teach you exactly what you need to do, step by step: interviewing, keywords to use for your skills, how to dress, what to include on a résumé. Everything you need to know.”
BACK TO WORK 50+ has been doing just what its name says — helping people over 50 get back to work — since 2013. The program works with trained career transition coaches who host in-person and online coaching sessions that help unemployed older adults build the skills and confidence they need to compete for high-quality jobs, at no cost to them.
The program is available nationally through webinars with 6 nonprofit organizations and community colleges across five states.
In 2024, a total of 23,754 older adults with low income accessed our resources or attended a workshop to learn proven strategies for finding employment and build confidence. More than 2,800 of those jobseekers received career coaching virtually or in person, an increase of 68 percent from 2023. And of those who participated in coaching, 723 shared with AARP Foundation that they found new jobs. Learn more about BACK TO WORK 50+.
Digital Skills Ready@50+
Diedre Champion says “It gave me a chance to brush up on some technology and find out about resources, like job fairs that I didn’t even know existed until I went through this program.”
In collaboration with Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) from AARP, we created Digital Skills Ready@50+™ to be part of the solution. Made possible through a generous grant from Google.org through the Tides Foundation, Digital Skills Ready@50+was designed to meet a pressing need: providing older adults the digital essentials to help them find and secure jobs, change careers or explore entrepreneurship.
In 2024 we partnered with 78 community organizations to provide training to 4,604 participants. Learn more about Digital Skills Ready@50+.
Work for Yourself@50+
Andrew Ziccardi says “I will pursue this to where I’m successful enough to either pass it on to my children, sell the company, or be semi-retired and work on other projects,” he says. “That’s my dream.”
The Work for Yourself@50+ program makes it easy for older adults to explore self-employment options, with free tools and resources that can help them increase their financial stability.
From in-person workshops to online training modules, the Work for Yourself@50+ program features a robust set of offerings that cover the essentials to know when working for yourself. In 2024, we served 26,192 older adults with low income, representing a 56% increase compared to 2023. Learn more about Work for Yourself@50+.
Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP)
Norma Trevino says "I truly appreciate having a job that makes me get up every day with enthusiasm. I see my future with security and confidence now. I have purpose in my day-to-day life."
Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, AARP Foundation SCSEP organizes training assignments that help participants build job skills while giving back to their community. The program does this by matching unemployed adults over 55 with local nonprofits and public agencies so they can increase skills and build self-confidence while earning a modest training wage. The majority of SCSEP participants end up with unsubsidized employment.
In 2024, the average SCSEP participant completed the program in 15 months, entering the workforce three months faster than the previous year and earning 12% more. Today, we run 113 SCSEP offices in 19 states and Puerto Rico, harnessing the collaborative strength of 3,500 nonprofit and government host agencies. Learn more about SCSEP.
AARP Foundation SCSEP is funded by a $46,889,529 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. This funding provides 90% of the support for SCSEP, with AARP Foundation matching 10%.
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