The Colorado Workforce Development Council has joined with the Federal Reserve Banks of Atlanta and Kansas City to offer a new tool to help people make informed decisions about their careers.

The Career Ladder Identifier and Financial Forecaster (CLIFF) provides information about:

How changes in employment affect public assistance.

How work force strategies help workers cope with public assistance loss as they advance.

In-demand career pathways that lead to quality jobs and wages that compensate for a loss of public assistance

People who want to take advantage of the tool are encouraged to contact a workforce center; where staff offer free assistance. 

In Grand Junction, the Mesa County Workforce Center is located at 512 29 1/2 Road.

“Many Coloradans want to advance their careers, but can’t afford to lose the critical public benefits they need to survive,” said Lee Wheeler-Berliner, managing director of the Colorado Workforce Development Council. “CLIFF will help workers understand that there are ways forward, ways in which they can provide for themselves and their families, even after losing public assistance. As we continue to advance Colorado’s economic recovery, it’s imperative that we equip residents with the tools they need to make career decisions that best fit their unique needs and ambitions.”

Wheeler-Berliner said the tool will strengthen the Colorado talent pipeline and, by extension, its economy. Employers also can benefit from CLIFF to help find the talent they need to succeed, to connect applicants to industries in need of workers.