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Seniors Training Seniors: Relaunched, Rebranded, and Repositioned

Four volunteer instructors in the Mayor's Office for Senior Citizens' Seniors Training Seniors computer training program smile at the camera.

In the beginning, there was the promise of “new beginnings” for seniors and technology. There would be connectivity. There would be access. But where was the education?

In 2014, the Seattle Mayor’s Office for Senior Citizens decided to rethink computer training for seniors and focus on the needs of its most vulnerable clients—older Seattle residents facing prolonged joblessness, homelessness and, frequently, hopelessness.

Last year, the Mayor’s Office for Senior Citizens team reorganized to more directly meet the survival needs of our clients and remove or reduce as many barriers to independence and sustainability as possible. Our Seniors Training Seniors program had previously focused on personal growth and enrichment classes. Job readiness and self-sufficiency are our new emphasis. This emphasis includes regular classes and workshops in resume writing, interviewing skills, professional networking via LinkedIn, the complete Microsoft Office Suite, and frequent classes in computer basics.

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