Pikes Peak Workforce Center provides funding for employee and workforce development

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Thanks to the Federal Workforce Innovation, the Pikes Peak Workforce Center received $160,000 in employee development funds. The funds will be awarded to companies who want to train or up-skill their current employees.

With recruitment and retention an ongoing challenge for businesses, this funding gives companies the chance to up-skill and train their current staff, versus hiring new people.

"It's more cost-effective to invest in your own employees and buy-in to the company," Colorado Springs Small Business Development Center Consulting Coordinator Shaula Denton said. "You're making investments into them and their future. The employees are one of the biggest assets of a company and the more you invest in your own company through your staff, then that will translate over to good customer service and happy employees."

The funds must be used to provide training to employees to retain a skilled workforce or avoid the need for layoffs.

"The upskill program is perfect for reducing turnover and providing opportunities for your staff to improve on their own skills and potential to move upwards in your company," Denton said.

Preference will be given to in-demand industries. Such as information technology and cyber security, manufacturing, health care, hospitality and tourism, and to companies whose training leads to the expansion of duties for employees.

"If they have more skills, they're more valuable to the company, to themselves, and reduces their need to train on the company's end," Denton said.

Improving the skills of our local workforce will also attract start-ups and companies to expand locally and grow the region's economy.

"We will attract more companies to Colorado Springs to start up or move to if we have a skilled workforce as a pool then it'll attract more businesses here to our community," Denton said.

"With the growing economy, it brings your income level up with the more skills," Denton said. "With the more people making more money, then that in turn goes to spending money in our stores, in our shops downtown."

Options for training include work-based, virtual, or classroom training for current employees that will increase the competitiveness of both employees and the business.

Employers choose the training that will best meet the needs of their company and their employees.

The deadline for employers to apply is Friday, Feb. 3.

However, employers must attend 1 virtual information session about how to apply either Wednesday, Jan. 18 from 10-11 a.m. or Thursday, Jan. 19 from 2-3- p.m. Employers can register here.

Applications will be reviewed, and awardees chosen by Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2023. 

All training for employees must be completed by Thursday, June 15, 2023. 

For more information or to view the application, click here.