The initial application period will remain open through Jan. 24 for a new grant program designed to help Colorado communities expand workforce and talent development initiatives.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade announced the Opportunity Now Colorado program. “Our
administration is committed to creating opportunities for Coloradans to get the skills they need to build careers they love,” Polis said. “We’re excited about the collaborative effort between the education and business communities, the opportunities that this new grant program will provide and how the grants will help build our workforce, create jobs and retain homegrown talent.”

Established by state legislation enacted in the latest session, Opportunity Now Colorado will help residents develop the skills and experience they need to apply for and secure jobs. State Rep. Janice Rich, R-Grand Junction, was among the lawmakers who pushed for passage.

State Rep. Julie McCluskie, a Democrat from Dillon selected to serve as speaker of the Colorado House next session, also was involved. “Opportunity Now Colorado provides the resources for communities to create programs that address worker shortages and provide workers with high-wage, meaningful jobs. Through innovative, regional programs, we can foster on-the-job training, apprenticeships and other forms of training and education that help Coloradans and our state’s economy not only recover from the pandemic, but thrive,” she said.

Opportunity Now grants will support regional partnerships in which educational institutions, industry leaders and employers work together to meet current and future workforce development needs. Emphasis will be placed on programs that create intentional pathways between one phase of education or employment to another and foster opportunities for regional learners and earners to be more economically mobile.

“Opportunity Now will help Coloradans across the state develop new skills so they can transition into Colorado’s fastest growing industries,” said Patrick Meyers, executive director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. “When workers have the support they need to adapt to a changing economy, families, communities and the entire state of Colorado benefit.”