Larimer County Workforce Innovation Grant (WIG) Awards

Larimer County Economic and Workforce Development received federal funding to support workforce innovation, the Workforce Innovation Grant. The Goal of the Workforce Innovation Grant is to help solve pressing workforce challenges by financially supporting innovative pandemic-recovery plans that will;

  • Help build in-demand skills; or
  • Connect workers and learners to quality jobs; or
  • Drive employer engagement in employee development

LCEWD received 26 proposals, vetted for eligibility, for a total amount requested of $3,182,985.  After an extensive review by subject matter experts, we are pleased to announce that LCEWD awarded 1.1 million in grants to organizations to impact solutions to the region’s biggest workforce challenges, focusing on employment, training and skills development.

    Awardees

    Overview/Goals

    Help youth, ages 16-18 whose families were negatively impacted by the pandemic, to learn the skills they need to start their careers.

    Number of People to be Served: 22

    Additional Information

    Connect with Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County 

    Overview/Goals

    The mission of Careers in Construction Colorado (CICC) is to partner with entities that provide educational courses focused on the construction industry to promote the benefits of career opportunities to students, parents, influencers, and educators as well as develop effective job placement platforms to place students in the construction industry.

    Number of People to be Served: 150

    Additional Information

    Connect with Careers in Construction.

    Overview/Goals

    Connect learners with quality jobs through direct interaction with professionals by providing an increase in internship opportunities and a diversity of experiences to explore career paths within the City of Fort Collins.

    Number of People to be Served: 84

    Additional Information

    Connect with the City of Fort Collins

     

    Overview/Goals

    Col Kitchen and Café is a community collaboration focused on revitalizing the former kitchen at the HP Campus, to reopen the commercial kitchen as a café and commissary space for multiple users.

    The grant will be used to revitalize the existing and outdated commercial kitchen and develop several different culinary programs to train local students and underserved populations of the community. ProStart culinary programs, Restaurant Youth Registered Apprenticeship (RYRA), and Restaurant Ready programs provide hands on experiences to prepare learners for culinary and hospitality careers and create pathways to earn industry credentials including ServSafe Food Handling and ServSafe
    Manager.

    Number of People to be Served: 35

    Additional Information

    Overview/Goals

    The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The CSU Inclusive Training Program is based on recommendations from the Colorado Workforce Development Council’s 2021 Talent Pipeline Report to increase access to competency-based non-degree credentials and to help employers adopt skills-based hiring. We will use a peer-mentoring and experiential learning approach to enhance career pathways for individuals with IDD in two relevant sectors in Larimer County: agriculture and STEM.

    Number of People to be Served: 16 participants with IDD and 16 peer mentors

    Additional Information

    Connect with program leads:

    James Graham – JE.Graham@Colostate.edu
    Debbie Fidler – Deborah.Fidler@Colostate.edu

    Overview Goals

    Connect students of color with programs offered at the Digital Workshop Center. We will support and facilitate 3 students attending the Frontend Web Development Program and 2 students in the Graphic Design Certificate Program.

    Number of People to be Served: 5

    Additional Information

    Connect with Cultural Enrichment Center of Fort Collins

     

    Overview Goals

    Create a context in Larimer County in which Latinx/immigrant households experience intergenerational support to hone and contribute skills within our local workforce. For immigrant youth, create a summer fellowship program to provide training and professional development opportunities within local organizations and businesses. For the parent generation, provide small grants for skills building, credentialing/licensing, small business startup funds, and legal funds for work authorization application and renewal.

    Number of People to be Served: 150

    Additional Information

    Email: contact@isaacnoco.org
    Assistance line: (970) 541-1251

    Overview/Goals

    Keep Smart Books Academy will become a licensed Division of Private Occupational Schools in the state of Colorado with the objective of offering a certificate-based program to train individuals in critical bookkeeping and payroll skills to they can either begin a successful career in the financial field or enhance their current career with continuing education.

    Number of People to be Served: 40

    Additional Information

    Connect with Keep Smart Books Academy

    Overview/Goals

    Supported by the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce and in collaboration with Poudre, Thompson, Estes Park School Districts and Colorado Early Colleges Fort Collins, the K-12 Work-Based Learning Business Liaison will work to increase business partnerships and work-based learning (WBL) opportunities for students across our region.

    Number of People to be Served: 50 students

    Additional Information

    Connect with Stefanie Merrell, K-12 Work-Based Learning Business Liaison: 

    Email: smerrell.WBLconnection@outlook.com.
    Phone: (970) 443-0969
    Online: NoCoInspire.org

     

    Overview/Goals

    Improve the outcomes for older workers 55+ who have been impacted by COVID-19 either through loss of income or job loss by becoming employed and shortening their length of unemployment and preparing them to compete in today’s workplace. Participants will complete a series of job search/job coaching, and overall supportive activities that will help the older worker 55+ position themselves to compete in today’s workplace.

    Number of People to be Served: 90

    Additional Information

    Connect with Partnership for Age-Friendly Communities in Larimer County.

    Phone: (970) 310-4900
    Email: info@pafclarimer.org

    Overview/Goals

    Strengthen the talent ecosystem in Northern Colorado by providing single parents the case management and resources needed to place them on the pathway to educational attainment and quality jobs.

    Number of People to be Served: 170

    Additional Information

    Connect with Project Self-Sufficiency of Northern Colorado at bringthepower.org or call 970.635.5912. 

    Overview/Goals

    Unified Workforce assists members of the underrepresented communities find employment with educational opportunities like mentoring, training
    through work-based learning opportunities and support in coaching.

    Number of People to be Served: 40

    Additional Information

    Connect with Unified Workforce at kwongbrown@unified-workforce.org

    Background of WIG

    On June 23, 2021, Colorado House Bill 21-1264 was signed into law by Governor Jared Polis. The bill appropriated  federal funds from the American Rescue Plan to support talent development. This includes funding to invest in programs and grants that support training for the unemployed and underemployed during times of substantial unemployment. 

    Colorado’s unemployment rate remains higher than pre-COVID levels, and the impacts of low-quality jobs and demands for skilled workers create stress within the labor market. The 2020 Colorado Talent Pipeline Report highlights impacts of the pandemic, top jobs and in-demand credentials, and discusses the plan for recovery in 2021.

    Resources/References

    Contact Information

    For questions regarding the Workforce Innovation Grant please email lcewd-grant@larimer.org.  

    Additional Workforce Initiatives and Services

    The Workforce Innovation Grant is just one of the ways Larimer County is working to impact some of the most important challenges in our region.  

    LCEWD Business Services

    Larimer County Workforce Innovation Grant

    We are here to help.  Please contact us with any questions. 

    Email: lcewd-grant@larimer.org