Supporting Rural Colorado Individuals
The Workforce Resilience Program’s (WRP) is a statewide grant program to support rural individuals negatively affected by Covid-19 to recover their career sustainability, profitability, and longevity. These one-time federal dollars are intended to be a flexible and easy-to-access resource for rural Colorado. WRP is administered by the Colorado Community College System (CCCS) and the Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT).
Grant proposals will be accepted in calendar year 2024 and funds will be distributed until the program ends in 2026. Total grant amounts will range from $25,000-$75,000.
The priority window for applications closed on March 1, 2024. To be notified if funds become available in the future, please submit the WRP Future Opportunity Interest Form.
PROGRAM GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The grant is designed to support individuals living or working in rural communities.
For rural businesses, workforce resilience may mean having the skilled staff they need or opportunities to evolve and grow. This may involve reskilling and upskilling their current or incoming employees in industry skills, essential skills, or technology to support relevance. Support may involve launching training, building innovative workforce development programs, expanding marketing and outreach for new talent, and short-term housing stipends among other possibilities.
For individuals, workforce resilience means having the skills and training needed to get a good job, advance within an organization, or to pivot to a new field. Grant funds may be used to develop training programs that lead to either industry or professional skills.
