Area company participating in Capitol Hill briefing

Conshohocken >> A Capitol Hill briefing Friday on the employment needs of unemployed older Americans will include a representative from Allied Universal, which has a headquarters in Conshohocken.

Catherine King, senior vice president, recruiting and staffing for Allied Universal, will be a featured speaker at the briefing. The company is a leading facility services company and the largest security force in North America, with more than 150,000 employees.

The briefing will provide an introduction to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), and will explore factors driving the conversation for employing older workers, such as an increase in life expectancy and workers prolonging retirement.

“Older Americans, who represent a growing part of the U.S. labor force, struggle to find jobs after becoming unemployed,” said King, who is based at the company’s Conshohocken office. “I am proud that Allied Universal is working with SCSEP to help older adults find jobs and increase their economic self-sufficiency. We benefit from the skills, talents, and experiences of program participants we have hired thus far and look forward to bringing on more.”

King, who has been with the company since 2012, leads corporate recruiting efforts for the company as well as recruiting operations for the Eastern division of the U.S., Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. She was previously responsible for overseeing all security operations in the Mid-Western region for AlliedBarton Security Services (now Allied Universal).

This is the company’s first Capitol Hill briefing on employing a targeted population, according to PR Manager Angela Burrell.

“We are participating to help bring awareness to older adults as a viable segment for employment,” she said.

In 2017, the company hired nearly 11,000 seniors as security professionals and in administrative roles. That number represents more than seven percent of Allied Universal’s workforce.

Last year, the company also launched its Partners in Employment Community-Based Organization Program to help recruit older adults. Organizations that refer seniors, can earn a referral payment of $400 per candidate hired.

“We network with a number or groups like AARP to reach this population,” King continued. “They are attractive workers because of their high work ethic and dependability. They are the children of ‘the greatest generation.’”

The briefing will be hosted by U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA). Additional speakers include: Kelly S. Mikelson, Ph.D., research associate, Urban Institute, who authored the white paper “The Role of SCSEP in Workforce Training for Low-Income Older Workers”; Sharron Holquin, a former Senior Community Service Employment Program participant who will share how she turned her work-based training into a full-time job; and Joseph McCarley, project director, TERRIFIC Inc., who will discuss his organization’s experience in hosting Senior Community Service Employment Program participants.

For more information about the Allied Universal Partners in Employment Community-Based Organization Program visit www.aus.com/communitycareers/seniors. For more information about Allied Universal visit www.aus.com.

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