Mature Alaskans Seeking Skills Training (MASST)

MATURE ALASKANS SEEKING SKILLS TRAINING (MASST) federally known as the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) or may be cited as the "Community Service Senior Opportunities Act’. In Alaska, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation administers the MASST program. The purposes of SCSEP are to foster individual economic self-sufficiency and promote useful opportunities in community service activities that shall include community service employment for unemployed low-income persons who are age 55 or older, particularly persons who have poor employment prospects, and to increase the number of persons who may enjoy the benefits of unsubsidized employment in both the public and private sectors.

The intent of this program is to place older individuals in community service positions and provide job training to help them become self-sufficient, provide much needed support to organizations that benefit from increased civic engagement, and strengthens the communities that are served by such organizations. This program helps Alaska retain the valuable resources of older workers while enabling this population to maintain an independent lifestyle and make meaningful contributions to their communities.