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The Jewish Council for the Aging (JCA’s) Career Gateway and CareerTech Employment Programs Receive Funding from NextFifty Initiative
Rockville, MD– August 22nd, 2022 — JCA’s Career Gateway and CareerTech have received significant funding from NextFifty Initiative, a Colorado-based foundation that supports efforts to improve the lives of older adults and their caregivers. This funding will allow JCA to advance its effort to support those 50 and better professional jobseekers looking to re-enter the workforce or to transition into a new career. The Career Gateway’s current virtual Zoom format allows it to reach beyond the D.C. Metropolitan area and, with the additional funding, serve the needs of an entirely new 50+ community.
“As we enter the thirteenth year of our program, we remain committed to meeting the unique and varied needs of older adults, so we are excited to provide our 50+ professional jobseekers the job search training skills necessary to secure meaningful employment,” said Jodie Rasch, Manager of JCA’s Career Gateway and CareerTech Programs. “This generous investment from NextFifty Initiative will have a significant impact on our ability to help our 50+professional jobseeker by providing the funding to expand our program to six sessions and allow the Career Gateway program to be offered throughout the year. NextFifty Initiative’s generous funding also supports our 50+ technology training component – CareerTech – which provides training in job-related technologies like Excel, PowerPoint, Windows/Word, and LinkedIn. We are excited to use the funding provided by NextFifty Initiative to expand our tech offerings by adding a new curriculum on the use of social media and cyber-related tools for our 50+ jobseekers to find employment opportunities, present themselves online in the best light, and make effective use of new technologies in their job-seeking ventures while protecting privacy and security.” Rasch stated.
“Each Career Gateway session comprises of job-search training classes focusing on resume development, interviewing skills, networking strategies, internet search strategies, and life stages support. We turn our jobseekers’ age and experience to their advantage. Each of the six sessions of the Career Gateway features 30 hours of small-group classroom instruction over five days, comprehensive take-home materials, practical exercises, and we provide each graduate with a long-term mentor to assist them on their career and life path.”
“We know of no other program throughout the country that offers such a specific and impactful program that addresses the needs of the 50+ professional jobseeker. Graduates of our program say that not only is participating in this program career-changing, but the skills they learn and the continued support they receive from our program is life changing. The program goes beyond the goal of the JCA of “Helping All Seniors Thrive” and provides participants with a new outlook, new determination, and new skills. Their success becomes the success of the community, as they become productive taxpayers, and contributors and often commit to “pay it forward,” often themselves volunteering with JCA’s Career Gateway or for other community organizations.
“We’re grateful for the work that JCA is doing to improve quality of life for people aged 50 and older,” said Diana McFail, president and CEO of NextFifty Initiative. “Older adults are vital to building and maintaining strong and healthy communities. We’re proud to support this and other efforts to help people age with dignity and purpose.”
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About NextFifty Initiative
NextFifty Initiative is a Colorado-based, private foundation supporting efforts to improve the lives of older adults and their caregivers. The foundation works with community leaders, experts in the field of aging, and front-line professionals to support programs and projects that positively impact aging and longevity. They focus on education, sharing best practices, and supporting innovation that will transform aging for generations to come. To learn more, visit www.Next50Initiative.org.
