Encore Careers make headway in Serve America Act

Arguably, the Serve America Act is one of the most comprehensive reforms expanding national service programs in more than 15 years. The Senate gave the nod yesterday, and now the bill heads to the House for some amending. It’s slated to be signed by President Obama some time next week. 

The New York Times’ article on the measure, Senate Moves to Expand National Service Programs, gives the details of what occurred on the floor Thursday during the approval process. The SAA expands the rank and file of Americorps and creates fellowships to funnel skilled talent to four other service corps, addressing areas such as education, healthcare, and the environment.

One of the new conceptual models in the act, is the Encore Fellowship. It will be of particular interest to boomers who are entering retirement, have been laid off or are rewiring their careers. “Experienced workers are needed in the non-profit world,” said Terry Nagel, managing editor of Encore.org - a network, information and news site helping individuals find meaningful work in the second half of their boomer life. Here’s what Nagel said about the significance of those ready for, what she describes as Encore Careers.

“Government managers are retiring in large numbers, and we need more experienced teachers, people in health care and workers and managers to jumpstart the green economy. But it’s difficult for older Americans to find work in a new sector by themselves. Programs like the Serve America Act will help experienced workers transition to these opportunities and held rebuild America.”  Terry Nagel – Encore.org

Here’s what the Serve America Act includes for Encore Careerists:

1. Encore Fellowships will be established for Americans age 55 or older in one-year management or leadership positions in nonprofit organizations. 
2. There will be a maximum of 10 per state. 
3. They will be funded by an $11,000 federal grant, plus matching funds from the organizations that host the fellows.

Ultimately the Encore Fellowships are ”a pathway to public service for those who have finished their midlife careers.” You can read more about the SAA and Encore Careers by clicking here.

The concept of Encore Careers has been picking up steam over the last 2 years as boomers enter into retirement. By definition, it’s a career that embodies personal meaning and social impact while providing continued income. It was born of CivicVentures.org, which has been leading the call to engage the skill set of boomers to address national concerns.