Job Seeker Training Opportunities
The Colorado Department of Labor & Employment (CDLE) collaborates with the local Colorado Workforce Centers to offer free or supplemental support training and educational opportunities through grants and federal funding.
Some of the Training Programs offered: Apprenticeships, Educational Programs, Pell Grant, Trade Adjustment Act (TAA), Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA), and Unemployment Insurance (UI) Approved Training Programs.
To learn more about the current training opportunities being offered and how to apply to them, contact your local Workforce Center.
Workforce Center Services
Workforce Centers provide a variety of free services to assist Job Seekers. Contact your local Workforce Center to learn more.
A sample of services provided include:
- Resources: Computer, internet, phone, fax and copier access
- Career counseling and training
- Workshops and classes to assist with creating/updating résumés, interview preparation, the application process, computer literacy, labor market information
- Information on Veterans Program Services
- Training, Classes, and Resources for Youth, Veterans, and other groups
- Job Fairs: Virtual & in-person
- Customers can choose either self-service or staff-assisted options to meet their employment needs.
Available Training and Education Opportunities
- Apprenticeship
Apprenticeships are paid arrangements that give individuals opportunities to obtain workplace-relevant knowledge, education, experience, training and other valuable skills to prepare them for careers in their chosen industry. Individuals who participate in an Apprenticeship program receive hands-on career training while earning a paycheck, reducing their need to take on debt while working towards their future career!
- Educational
The Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL) is a list that the Colorado Workforce Centers and communities reference to determine the most appropriate, reliable, and highest quality training opportunities available to our customers. Find up-to-date course descriptions, program costs, and school/training provider performance at a glance.
- Pell Grant
You may be eligible to receive financial aid through the Federal Pell Grant Program if you have not already earned a Bachelor’s Degree. Pell Grants can help to pay for your education and training costs and can be used at most colleges and technical schools. All Colorado community colleges participate in the Pell Program and their financial-aid staff can help you apply for the grant.
- Trade Adjustment Act (TAA)
The Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program provides a variety of benefits for workers who have lost their jobs due to foreign competition and their company has been certified as being trade impacted by the US Department of Labor (USDOL). Possible benefits include retraining, job search assistance, relocation assistance, extensions of Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits and/or a wage subsidy if you are 50 years of age or older and start a full time job that pays less than your trade certified employment.
- Unemployment Insurance Approved Training Programs
With assistance from a local workforce center or the Unemployment Insurance Division, individuals receiving Unemployment benefits may be able to continue receiving benefits and have the number of required weekly job contacts reduced or removed while enrolled in approved training. Approved training plans must focus on short-term training programs for occupations that are in-demand and lead to stable long-term jobs. Contact a Workforce Center for more information on UI training options.
- Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA)
We are here to help you prepare for employment, find and keep a job, and increase your earnings through a federally-funded program called the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA). For example, through this program, we offer employment services including:
- Assistance with job leads and labor market information
- Resume assistance and critiques
- Education and career assessments
- Employment readiness and job search workshops
- Career counseling and career planning
- Supportive services
- Intensive job search assistance