WORKFORCE3ONE

INTERVIEW WITH JOANN WILLIAMS, SCSEP DIRECTOR, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ELDER AFFAIRS

BY KATHLEEN DORCY, TRAINING COORDINATOR, SENIOR COMMUNITY SERVICE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

JUNE 2009

Transcript by Federal News Service Washington, D.C. (Music.)

KATHLEEN DORCY: Hello, I’m Kathleen Dorcy, training coordinator for the Senior Community Service Employment Program for the national office at the Department of Labor. With us today is Joann Williams, the SCSEP director for the state of Florida Department of Elder Affairs. We have asked her to join us because her program has been successful in recruiting participants so we’d like to see what we could learn from her and her subgrantees that would be of value to others in the SCSEP community.

Thank you, Joann, for being with us today.

JOANN WILLIAMS: You’re welcome. My pleasure.

MS. DORCY: Joann, what do you think is the most important thing in recruiting participants?

MS. WILLIAMS: I believe, just based on conversations with my subgrantees throughout the state of Florida, that you need to develop a very good marketing plan that will be appealing and noticeable to the people we’re trying to attract. This can be achieved by using free promotional aids such as the fliers and brochures that are provided to us by the Department of Labor as well as using more creative promotional visual aids such as fans and water bottles and first aid kits and magnifying glasses, key chains and so forth. Just need to be creative and keep the word out there.

And most importantly, you need to be visible in the community. You can’t stay in your office and make contacts unless you’re going to be on the phone all day. But it’s also important to get out into the community, attend networking meetings, job fairs, participate in regional workforce board meetings, et cetera.

MS. DORCY: Okay. And what is your advice about targeting your recruitment?

MS. WILLIAMS: I think it’s important to develop a plan that will alert children and grandchildren, not just try to target those individuals that we want to enroll in the program, that those that can help us spread the word about the program so children and grandchildren and neighbors – also want to work with faith-based organizations such as churches and other community organizations that could also help us spread the word. I believe these types of contacts will lead to a significant improvement in your recruitment efforts.

MS. DORCY: Could you tell us about an innovative strategy that worked well for one of your subgrantees?

MS. WILLIAMS: Would love to. Visited Miami recently and met with the group of some very young and energetic new staff members who talked about their willingness to go to a fitness center in the community. And the fitness center was very interested in the program because a lot

EMMA WALLACE PODCAST 1 Page 2 of 3 JUNE 2009 of seniors have adopted a lifestyle of health and wellness and through their fitness center, they’re able to make referrals to the membership about the program. And some of the things that they’ve done is that they’ve actually allowed the SCSEP staff members to come in and make presentations to various groups within the center.

MS. DORCY: Tell us about the different pieces that unfolded which made this successful.

MS. WILLIAMS: Well, again, I alluded to the fact that they can come in and talk to different groups at the health centers and some of those groups are the Tai chi classes and they go in and they speak to the seniors and other members who are enrolled in yoga and Pilates and spin groups. And they come in and they talk to them about the importance of the SCSEP and just the importance of spreading the word to those individuals that they care about in the community.

Also, they have used the membership passes to actually promote the program. So on the back of some membership passes, if those individuals agree to it, they actually put contact information about the SCSEP program. They’ve also given them permission to put posters and fliers in the lobby to not only promote the benefits of the SCSEP program but the benefits of staying fully engaged through employment in the community. And so through this initiative, it has reached what I would consider an untapped resource in a very creative approach to marketing SCSEP.

MS. DORCY: Yes, sounds like you’ve got very good buy-in from the health centers.

MS. WILLIAMS: We did.

MS. DORCY: Well, thank you, Joann. We hope that this will help our grantees and their subgrantees think beyond the traditional avenues for recruitment.

MS. WILLIAMS: Well, thank you, Kathleen. It was definitely my pleasure.

(Music.)

(END)

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