March 5, 2020 - The Colorado Workforce Development Council added career pathways in the retail industry to the My Colorado Journey platform in February. The retail pathways include opportunities in online and in-person stores as well as hospitality and food and beverage establishments. These industries provide a variety of employment opportunities for individuals to begin working with little to no prior experience, which makes it an accessible entry point for many Coloradans wanting to begin their career journeys. View retail career pathways.
Throughout Colorado, there are 877,328 retail jobs with growth projected to steadily increase over the next 10 years. Given the anticipated growth and easy access to employment, retail pathways are being included in My Colorado Journey in an effort to equip frontline workers with the information needed to advance their career goals and better recognize the ability of these jobs to connect workers with opportunities for career advancement.
Retail experience develops essential skills, such as customer service and teamwork, that are valued across all industries. To better help individuals understand how their skills are transferable to other in-demand occupations, the retail pathways on My Colorado Journey are piloting functionality that allows the user to click on an occupation and see which additional occupations utilize similar skills. My Colorado Journey is testing this functionality within the retail pathways with a goal of extending it to other pathways over time.
Nine retail pathways are included on the platform, all of which were vetted by industry partners to ensure the pathways are responsive to the needs of business. Pathways include:
- Food and beverage server
- Food and beverage preparation
- Hospitality lodging
- Hospitality gaming
- Hospitality recreation, amusements, and attractions
- Specialty retail
- Retail sales
- Non-retail sales
- Retail logistics and business operations
Retail is the eighth industry to have career pathways added to My Colorado Journey. Retail pathways are being included as part of the Lives Empowered initiative. Other industries available to explore on My Colorado Journey include construction, information technology, cybersecurity, healthcare, business operations, advanced manufacturing, and education. Career pathways for behavioral health are scheduled to be released on My Colorado Journey this summer.
About Lives Empowered
Lives Empowered brings together retail businesses interested in working collaboratively to increase economic mobility for frontline workers across Colorado and contribute to a strong economy. Lives Empowered is made possible by a $4.1 million grant from Walmart to the Colorado Workforce Development Council.