GOVERNOR DECLARES SEPTEMBER AS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT MONTH

Annual focus is on variety of services for job seekers and employers

Governor John Hickenlooper has issued a proclamation declaring September as Workforce Development Month in Colorado. During the next four weeks, state and county run employment offices called Workforce Centers will partner with the Department of Labor and Employment to spotlight a variety of services and resources available to the state’s 2.7 million men and women in the state’s labor force and the 170,000 Colorado businesses that hire them. Workforce Development Month began modestly in 2004 with a handful of events.  Now in its second decade, the annual series of events has grown to include a wide array of workshops, open houses, hiring events (both in person and online), employer seminars and more. Hiring events will take place almost every day across Colorado.  Some will be traditional, face-to-face meeting with employers; others will be virtual, online hiring events such as the one going on now and running the entire month of September. In Mesa County: Customer Appreciation Day: September 15th o   11am to 1pm  Job Fair Boot Camp: September 18th o   9am to 11am  JobFest Job Fair: September 22nd o   8am to 3pm o   8am to 8:30am – Exclusive Access for Veterans o   Anticipating 30+ Employers (over 28 employers already committed) On October 1, the Governor’s Summer Job Hunt will conclude its 36th season with an awards reception to honor the exemplary teens and the great businesses that hired them this summer. Workforce Development Month will showcase how the Department of Labor and Employment and Workforce Centers across Colorado can help businesses and workers succeed.  A full calendar of events is available at www.coworkforce.com.   Events will also be posted to Facebook (facebook.com/ColoradoLabor) and Twitter (twitter.com/ColoradoLabor). It is a time to focus on creating a stronger and more competitive Colorado.  In his proclamation, Governor Hickenlooper notes that “breaking down the barriers that keep people from following their dreams and reaching their goals is critically important if Colorado is to remain economically robust and globally competitive.”  Workforce Development Month provides an opportunity for Colorado’s workers and entrepreneurs to focus on those dreams.