 
 From left, Richard Hyland, director, Yonkers Extension Center of Westchester Community College; Barbara Greenberg, staff consultant for the Helen Andrus Benedict Foundation; Susan Wayne, president and CEO of Family Services of Westchester (FSW); and Steve Riordan, vice president of aging, health and community support services for FSW.
The number of older job-seekers is on the rise.
“From November 2007 to November 2008, people over 65 who are looking for jobs have increased 91 percent,” Westchester County Executive Andrew J. Spano said. “That”™s an incredible number, and they”™re looking for jobs for many reasons. The best one is they just want to work. The other ones are that they need the money.”
Collaboration between Westchester Community College (WCC), the Volunteer Center of the United Way and Family Services of Westchester (FSW) brought the AARP Foundation”™s WorkSearch program to the WCC extension center in Yonkers”™ Cross County Shopping Center.
The site features 24 computer terminals with the WorkSearch software installed, which includes job training and skill assessment programs.
The Yonkers WorkSearch site is the first in the county and fourth in the state.
“We feel that it brings a valuable proven employment program to Westchester at a time when it can be most beneficial,” said Steve Riordan, vice president of aging, health and community support services for FSW.Â
“This is the kind of effort that the president talks about,” Spano said. “He talks about developing new concepts, new programs and getting people who volunteer to assist.”
Spano said the work search center will be a valuable resource for the retired and unemployed. The center is estimated to serve between 500 and 700 job-seekers in 2009 alone.
“The Helen Andrus Benedict Foundation is very interested in creating places that are good for people to grow older, and we think that having jobs and the availability of economic stability is enormously important,” said Barbara Greenberg, staff consultant for the Helen Andrus Benedict Foundation, which provided funding for the collaboration along with Westchester Public Private Partnership. “When we had a chance to collaborate with the AARP Foundation, which created this incredible tool called WorkSearch, we asked them to come to Yonkers and bring the product here. We”™re very excited because we think that this has the capacity to enable thousands of Yonkers people to get jobs.”
Job-seekers can register by calling 964-6767.
