Federal Grant Award Summary

The North Dakota Department of Human Services received a $1,671,476 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration to administer the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP, CFDA 17.235) for the program year July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. As a state grantee receiving 22 percent of total SCSEP appropriations, the department will provide part-time community service employment opportunities, on-the-job training, individual employment planning, occupational skills training, and supportive services to unemployed individuals aged 55 and older with household incomes at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty level.

Program participants will work part-time at minimum wage in positions at public agencies and nonprofit organizations throughout North Dakota, gaining work experience while preparing for transition to unsubsidized employment. The department must meet core performance measures including aggregate community service employment hours, the percentage of participants in unsubsidized employment during the second and fourth quarters following program exit, median earnings of employed participants, and effectiveness indicators in serving employers, host agencies, and participants. Administrative costs are limited to 13.5 percent of total funding, with at least 75 percent of federal funds allocated to participant wages and benefits.