Colorado's Support for Job Seekers Continues
As of January 20, 2023, the emergency support provided to constituents in Colorado via OnwardCO has transitioned to MyColoradoJourney.com (MCJ).
MCJ provides residents helpful tools to education options and career pathways. MCJ is designed to help individuals identify their career interests, values, aptitude, and skills. Tools are also available on MCJ to help people find training programs and understand how they might prepare for the future.
We encourage OnwardCO.org users to sign-up for MyColoradoJourney.com, the state’s powerful online platform!
The impact of OnwardCO
OnwardCO.org launched in partnership with Colorado’s Department of Labor and Employment, The Office of the Future of Work, and Bitwise Industries as a COVID-19 response site to support Coloradans impacted by job loss in April 2020. The portal provided connections to essential life services (shelter, childcare, medical/mental health resources, and emergency funds), re-training programs, and immediate employment opportunities. Through OnwardCO the State was able to provide pathways to re-skill workers and rapidly connect workers to industries impacted by COVID-19.
The initial launch involved coordination with the Governor’s Office, state agencies, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders to ensure effective data collection, beta testing of the site, pre and post-launch awareness, and ongoing outreach and updates. This work allowed OnwardCO to build comprehensive resources to reach Coloradans who are often disconnected from support services.
OnwardCO provided access to the largest job opportunity board in Colorado with nearly 500,000 open job postings to over 129,400 displaced workers in Colorado. OnwardCO utilized text campaigns to reach job seekers who couldn’t easily access email and the Internet, as well as connect them to resources and providers that are often overlooked. OnwardCO was a part of OnwardUS, which served nearly one million people during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic around our nation.
From this experience, Bitwise Industries (developers of OnwardUS and OnwardCO) has been able to provide important insights, data, and lessons that will help improve state services.
Bitwise is excited to continue work with Coloradans by expanding their company into Greeley, Colorado where they will create accessible pathways to careers in the tech industry through their nationally recognized apprenticeship programs, as well as provide digital services for residents and businesses.