September is National Workforce Development Month
Published on September 07, 2021
The Board of Weld County Commissioners (BOCC) have proclaimed September National Workforce Development Month to reaffirm its support of Employment Services of Weld County (ESWC), the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, and the Colorado Workforce Development Council, educators, businesses and economic developers in workforce development efforts.
“We really want to keep ESWC at the forefront of everybody’s mind as we are aware many employers are looking for the opportunity to expand and attract talent to support their workforce and many others are seeking employment. ESWC’s hard work and dedication provides vital services that help thousands of people find satisfying employment, economic security and self-sufficiency,” said Tami Grant, Department of Human Services Deputy Director.
ESWC is a comprehensive workforce center, which connects residents to resources for employment, education and training services. Skilled staff provide a wide variety of services, including labor exchange, job referrals, skills assessment, eligibility screening for career counseling and training programs. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, ESWC has seen an increase of over 200% for individuals utilizing basic career services such accessing tools and technology to conduct an effective job search and workshops. During the 2020-program year, more than19,800 residents received these services.
ESWC also aims to make meaningful connections between Weld County employers and those seeking for employment to include hosting job fairs and developing customized recruitment strategies to meet individual business needs. The business services team validates and approves Weld County job postings in the state’s Connecting Colorado job database. During the 2020-program year, Weld County employers posted over 15,000 jobs.
At the proclamation reading Wednesday, the BOCC was joined by ESWC staff and members of the Weld County Workforce Development Board representing different businesses in Weld County, such as HRx Services, Banner Health, Immigrant and Refugee Center of Northern Colorado, The Greeley Dream Team, Department of Vocation Rehabilitation, Aims Community College and local trade unions.
“The Weld County Workforce Development Board is a three-time, high performing Workforce Board. Not many boards have received this distinguished honor and no other boards have received designation for three consecutive years” said Perry Buck, Commissioner Coordinator for Department of Human Services.
The Weld County Workforce Development Board is responsible for identifying regional workforce development needs and creating comprehensive strategies designed to meet those needs while considering the region's economic development priorities.
“The ESWC team is stellar,” said Lisa Taylor, Executive Director, Immigrant and Refugee Center of Northern Colorado and Weld County Workforce Board member. “They are creative and innovative, and we have relied heavily on our partnership with ESWC to think through how we can best serve our residents, make sure they get meaningful employment and retain those jobs and opportunities to reskill and upskill as the workforce changes.”
To celebrate, ESWC will be hosting various job fairs and workshops throughout the month. For event dates and times, or more information about ESWC and The Workforce Development Board, please visit https://www.eswc.org.
