Colorado's Advancing Individual Ownership of Assets and Career Determination Initiative

Last Updated: 03/12/2024

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Overview

The Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC), supported by a grant from Walmart, is working with partners to strengthen Colorado's workforce system so that job seekers can more easily define and share their professional qualifications online with employers, access better data to select quality training providers, and enroll in training that leads to employment in high-demand occupations.  The work will also increase the ability of employers to identify workers with the skills and credentials that meet their needs. These efforts will enable more Coloradans, specifically those from historically marginalized populations, to pursue education and training and connect to in-demand, quality jobs with a path to economic prosperity.

A main focus of this work is enabling the State to create the digital infrastructure so that any Coloradan can access a learning and employment record (LER). A LER is an online record that documents the skills, credentials, education, and work experiences accrued throughout the individual’s life in a digital wallet. Once the information is contained in a digital wallet, individuals can easily authorize their information to be verified and shared across learning management systems, educational platforms, HR systems, and more.

Through a collaboration with Credential Engine, the initiative will also make it easier for Coloradans to assess which training providers offer quality training and credentials that meet industry standards and produce the best outcomes for learners. Research has shown that Coloradans need more information to identify the education and training programs that return the best results for their investment of time and resources.

To increase affordability and address inequitable funding gaps for training, the initiative will support Colorado's first Innovative Finance Community of Practice. Participants will develop more sustainable approaches to funding quality training for high-demand occupations, which will reduce the cost barrier for individuals to fill critical open positions in the state and increase resources for employers to reskill or upskill their workforce.

Throughout the initiative, Colorado will continue contributing to and learning from national best practices to advance these innovations at the state and national levels in order to close economic equity gaps and increase employer investments in training the current and future workforce.

Partners

Colorado Workforce Development Council, Walmart, Colorado Department of Higher Education, Credential Engine, Walmart

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