Unveiling the State Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Stakeholder Quarterly Report
The CWDC is pleased to unveil the Second Quarter of the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) Stakeholders Report that will update you on the performance of grants funded by the CWDC and highlight the impact and utilization of fiscal recovery funds within our state.
Of all the programs funded, approximately 10,000 Coloradans have enrolled in various programs such as employment readiness training, coaching sessions, and in-demand job training and certifications. These programs collectively have a 52-percent completion rate.
The COVID-19 pandemic affected many Coloradans. Some lost their jobs and searched for new opportunities; others wanted to advance in their current field or change careers completely.
To help Coloradans accomplish their career goals in the wake of the pandemic, the Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC) took an active role in advancing the state’s economic recovery and supporting legislation, including Colorado House Bill 21-1264. Funding for the bill comes from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and is directed through the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF).
The bill’s goal was to provide aid for economic recovery to the people, businesses, and industries most impacted by COVID-19; another aim was to improve outcomes for learners and workers and help prepare Coloradans for well-paying, quality jobs of the future. The bill emphasized equity and directed funds towards underserved communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic including Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities, people with disabilities, New Americans, justice-involved individuals, older workers; there’s also an emphasis on supporting small businesses.
The CWDC provided over 70 grants totaling $60 million to boost the workforce system in Colorado. These grants helped Coloradans recover through assistance with employment Reskilling, Upskilling and Nextskilling (RUN) programs. Additionally, Workforce Innovation Grants (WIG) were issued to Local Workforce Areas and community-based organizations to find innovative ways to assist individuals and families recovering from the pandemic.
The SLFRF Quarterly Stakeholder report provides insight as to how the funding was distributed. The report also provides details on the performance of the grants, specifically how many participants in the various programs have been impacted, along with relevant demographic information.
Throughout this report, you will find relevant information on program performance, demographics, and success stories. From an obligation and expenditure perspective, we are expecting approximately $2.3 million to be returned to the CWDC this quarter, which is being reallocated to other SLFRF programs.
We also share success stories from some of the programs. We expect 100-percent of the $60 million to be obligated and spent on time.
Programmatically, we are seeing very solid results in enrollments and completions with the RUN program as well as the Innovation programs.
In the charts above, the RUN program has seen the most enrollments with a 69% completion rate. The Trade Association Training (TAT) Programs have demonstrated the highest completion rate with 82% of enrollees completing the programs.
The Coaching Collaborative services have also seen high demand with many enrollee still participating in the program.
The key takeaway from this report is that the $60M is being well spent and having a significant amount of impact on Coloradans negatively impacted by the pandemic.
We also want to call out the overall workforce system within Colorado. The workforce system is composed of 10 workforce areas with numerous workforce centers located throughout the state.
The public workforce system provides free services to assist employers and job seekers across Colorado.
Colorado’s network of locally-run workforce centers assists thousands of employees and job seekers across the state each year.
To learn more about Colorado’s workforce system please visit the CWDC website as well as the Colorado Talent Dashboard.