What Happened?
The U.S. Department of Labor awarded the Denver Office of Economic Development with a $6.2 million grant to help long-term unemployed and underemployed residents find jobs in booming industries. The grant was offered through the DOL’s Ready to Work program through the Employment and Training Administration.
Goal
The U.S. Department of Labor gave $6.2 million to the Denver Office of Economic Development through its Ready to Work Partnership grant program. The goal of the grant is to help local governments and organizations get long-term unemployed and underemployed populations back to work. The grant awarded to Denver will be used to support collaborations between employers, educational institutions and federal job training programs that connect skilled workers with ready-to-be-filled jobs.
The federal funding will be used to launch the Technology Employment in Colorado Partnership that is designed to build the state’s information technology and advanced manufacturing sectors through education and career training initiatives. The Denver Office of Economic Development projects more than 600 unemployed or underemployed workers will benefit from the program in the IT and advanced manufacturing sectors. If the model is successful, the formula could be expanded to connect skilled workers to jobs in other sectors as well.
Because much of the workforce in Denver may live in a neighboring county – and vice versa – the Denver Office of Economic Development applied for the federal grant as a regional body so the funds can impact several communities. The entire metro Denver region has a history of attracting young professionals and thriving businesses due to its appealing quality of life and scenic surroundings. By creating more targeted job training and placement programs, the Denver region hopes to perpetuate its appeal to the high-growth sectors of IT and advanced manufacturing.
Evidence-Based Approach
Ledy Garcia-Eckstein, Senior Manager of the Denver Office of Economic Development, told Gov1 the Technology Employment in Colorado Partnership grew from a similar initiative that was deployed by the Colorado Urban Workforce Alliance: the Greater Metro Denver Healthcare Partnership. According to the latest report, the Greater Metro Denver Healthcare Partnership Project is comprised of:
- 3 workforce regions
- Post-secondary educators
- All major hospitals and ambulatory care systems in the metro Denver region
The partnership is designed to fill in-demand occupations in the healthcare sector through education and training opportunities. As of this past May, 89 percent of all participating unemployed and underemployed workers obtained employment in the healthcare sector. The healthcare partnership has now extended its services to focus on new targeted occupations in the industry.
“Regional representatives meet regularly to discuss the latest workforce data on the healthcare industry and then discuss job growth and resource demand with employers in the sector,” Garcia-Eckstein told Gov1. “We wanted to know if the data being collective is reflective of the industry reality. We sought out what was needed and designed training and funding opportunities to meet the demands of the industry.”
Likewise, the goal of the Technology Employment in Colorado Partnership is to deploy a similar industry and employer-driven approach to educating a skilled workforce to fill jobs in the IT and advanced manufacturing sectors.
“We will work very closely with Colorado technology associations to identify disparities, gaps and needs within the sector,” Garcia-Eckstein explained. “We will then find solutions to fill those vacancies quickly and efficiently. We cannot do this without understanding the demand and what the industry needs specifically.”
According to Garcia-Eckstein, this evidence-based approach entails:
- Conducting labor market analysis
- Reaching out to employers to discuss needs
- Comparing the data to the feedback from employers
- Building out programs to meet industry demands
“It wasn’t until this year that sector workforce development strategies have become institutionalized,” Garcia-Eckstein told Gov1. “Now it is imperative to address workforce demands with sector-specific strategies to effectively meet the demands of the employers and unemployed workforce.”
The Right Workforce
Gov1 has reported on a variety of federal grants designed to build skilled workers in key industries.