CWDC Announces $500,000 Grant from Walmart to Strengthen Paths to Economic Prosperity for All Coloradans

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Nov. 21, 2022 - Last week the CWDC announced a $500,000 grant from Walmart in support of Colorado's Advancing Individual Ownership of Assets and Career Determination initiative. The grant will enable the Colorado Workforce Development Council, Colorado Department of Higher Education, Credential Engine, and partners to help Coloradans make informed career decisions and access quality training and employment.

The grant objectives will help strengthen connections between employers in need of talent and workers with job-relevant skills to ease hiring challenges and help Coloradans obtain quality jobs with a path to prosperity. 

Objective 1: Create the digital infrastructure so that any Coloradan can access a learning and employment record (LER) – an online record that documents the skills, credentials, and education and work experiences accrued throughout one’s life in a digital wallet – so they can more easily define and share their professional qualifications with prospective employers and education providers.

Objective 2: Help Colorado students and job seekers access better data in order to select quality training providers that meet industry standards and produce the best outcomes for learners. 

Objective 3: Support Colorado's first Innovative Finance Community of Practice in developing more sustainable approaches to funding quality training programs, which will reduce the cost barrier for individuals to fill critical open positions in the state and increase resources for employers to reskill or upskill their workforce.

Throughout the initiative, Colorado will continue contributing to and learning from national best practices to advance these innovations at the state and national levels. Read the full press release.