WASHINGTON, D.C. - Colorado U.S. Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet welcomed a new grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to train Colorado long-term unemployed workers in Advance Manufacturing and Information Technology - two fields that are growing in Colorado. The grant will serve communities in the Front Range and Western Slope including Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, Larimer, Mesa, and Weld counties.

The Technology Employment in Colorado Partnership (TEC-P), a coalition of workforce development boards, colleges, and employers in IT and advanced manufacturing, will use the funding for a three step process to put long term unemployed workers back on the job. The steps include intensive coaching, on the job training with an earning component, and certification and credentials workers need to land a job in their targeted fields.

"Colorado's economy is growing and Main Street businesses across the state are helping us win the global economic race. It's important, though, that even as Colorado recovers, we don't leave anyone behind," Udall said. "This competitive grant will help Colorado's long-term unemployed get back to work.

"Colorado is a national leader growing 21st century jobs, but we're still facing a skills gap." Bennet said. "This grant will help us train and match workers with the skills they need to fill openings in growing industries in Colorado. We're fortunate to have a coalition like TEC-P that is bringing the public and private sectors together to meet or workforce needs."

The Denver Office of Economic Development will work with TEC-P to lead the administration of the grant. TEC-P includes employers such as Iconergy, Live Consulting, Lifeloc Technologies, Lockheed Martin, IBM, Networks Unlimited, CAPCO, Denver Energy Group, Lewis Engineering, Spirea, and Wolf Robotics. The Western Colorado manufacturing Alliance, Colorado Technology Association, and Manufacturer's Edge are industry associations that are participating as well as education partners Colorado Community College System, Community College of Aurora, Community College of Denver, Front Range Community College, Red Rocks Community College, and Western Colorado Community College. Workforce partners include Colorado Urban Workforce Alliance, Arapahoe/Douglas Works!, Workforce Boulder County, American Job Center serving Jefferson, Clear Creek and Gilpin counties, Larimer County Workforce Center and Mesa County Workforce Center.

The grant is part of the Department of Labor's Ready to Work Partnership initiative to support and scale innovative collaborations between employers, nonprofit organizations and federal job training programs to help connect ready-to-work Americans with ready-to-be-filled jobs.

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