Workforce Innovation Funding - Career Navigation and Coaching Collaborative Grants (Colorado)

Workforce Innovation Funding - Career Navigation and Coaching Collaborative Grants (Colorado) is sponsored by Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC). These grants provide funding to Local Workforce Boards and community-based organizations (CBOs) to expand career coaching efforts by adding staff and engaging career coaches in a statewide coaching collaborative to strengthen coordination of coaching services.

## HB21-1264 allocates $35 million for workforce innovation funding. * ​$17. 5 million is allocated to Local Workforce Boards, who will compete these funds out to eligible entities; * $13.

3 million is used on statewide initiatives through the CWDC; and * $4. 2 million will be used for evaluation, implementation, and administration. ### Here are the primary investments that use funding from the $13.

3 million the CWDC distributed: **1. Career Navigation and Coaching Collaborative Grants** Increasing access to high quality career coaching is critical for individuals to reengage in the labor force or to change jobs.

Coaching Collaborative grants provide funding to Local Workforce Boards and community-based organizations (CBOs) to expand career coaching efforts by adding staff and engaging career coaches in a statewide coaching collaborative to strengthen coordination of coaching services. **2.

Trade Association Training Programs Grants** These grants provide funding to trade associations to develop and/or implement innovative workforce training opportunities that address the negative economic impacts of COVID-19 and provide aid to impacted industries.

Trade associations can use funding to expand existing programming or develop new programming that will support skill development and career growth for individuals in order to fill industry talent shortages. **3. Regional Sector Partnership Staffing Support Grants** Colorado’s sector partnership model is a public-private approach that fosters industry-driven alignment across workforce, education, and economic development.

This opportunity strives to fund additional capacity for convening regional sector partnerships across the state. Regional conveners will be hired to support existing partnerships or to help with the development of new partnerships in key industries and will be supported by ongoing training and coaching by the CWDC to ensure successful implementation. **4.

Small Business Apprenticeship Support Grant** Well-trained apprentices can quickly become productive members of the team, contributing to innovation and competitiveness, as well as creating a continuous pipeline of skilled workers who are already familiar wit the business's culture and process.

Apprentices benefit from a quality job that incorporates structured wage progression, career pathway development, and mentoring, which in turn lowers the turnover rate for employers. This opportunity helps small businesses in their efforts to launch new Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) or expand existing RAPs, simplifying future hiring needs and ensuring a steady supply of qualified employees.

Technical assistance is provided through Apprenticeship Colorado, the state Apprenticeship Agency (SAA) that is responsible for oversight and registration of apprenticeships. **5. Vital Careers Grant** Providing individuals throughout Colorado essential skills and ability to secure employment in high-demand industries is critical.

This opportunity assists Coloradans in gaining expertise and finding jobs in critical sectors such as Information Technology (IT), Early Childhood Education, Construction Trades, Emergency Services, and Medical Administration. **To view the list of organizations and vendors that received funding, visit the****Grants Recipients page****. ** ### The $13.

3 million of funding will also be distributed to vendors to increase capacity across the state to strengthen training programs and help additional nonprofit providers and other organizations receive public funding: **1.

Career Navigation and Coaching Collaborative Training** The selected vendor, Radicle Coaching, LLC, will serve as a partner to the state, and will develop and implement a training program for coaches, supervisors, and coordinators throughout the statewide Career Navigation and Coaching Collaborative at local workforce centers and community-based organizations in alignment with CWDC priorities and values.

The training will integrate human-centered design and build on lessons learned from the Skillful Governor's Coaching Corps. **2. Career Navigation and Coaching Collaborative Promotions** The selected vendor, Graduate!

Network, will lead the development and implementation of a promotional campaign that will increase awareness and use of the Career Navigation and Coaching Collaborative services, particularly among underserved communities. **3.

Evidence-Based Practices** The selected vendor, the Colorado Equitable Economic Mobility Initiative (CEEMI), will help build capacity within Colorado's talent development ecosystem to improve the use of data and evidence to support training providers to better demonstrate their effectiveness and increase the state’s ability to invest in programs that are most impactful for Coloradans.

CEEMI will develop and deliver technical assistance to enhance the awareness of evidence-based practices and lead organizations to strengthen existing and new systems. **4.

Support for Grant Applications and Grant Management** The selected vendor, Community Resource Center, will provide training and grant management for nonprofits focused on Colorado's economic recovery to increase the ability of these nonprofits to access and successfully implement opportunities supported by state and federal funding.

**To view the list of organizations and vendors that received funding, visit the****Grants Recipients page****. **