Hot Jobs Near You!
Check out the latest job openings in Arapahoe and Douglas Counties! These jobs were posted in the last two weeks, so don’t miss your chance to find a great opportunity near you.
Honoring Impact: CWEE Names Arapahoe/Douglas Works! 2025 Program Partner of the Year
As part of their Silver Flame Awards, the Center for Work Education and Employment (CWEE) honored Arapahoe/Douglas Works! as its 2025 Program Partner of the Year. The Silver Flame Awards are a long-time CWEE tradition, honoring the individuals and companies that go above and beyond to create opportunities and provide support for their participants and their families.
“It was an honor to celebrate the success of multiple work-based learning placements and the long-time partnership between CWEE and A/D Works! last Friday” said Andrea Barnum, Workforce Programs Manager.
Hot Jobs Near You!
Check out the latest job openings in Arapahoe and Douglas Counties! These jobs were posted in the last two weeks, so don’t miss your chance to find a great opportunity near you.
Arapahoe/Douglas Works! and DCSD Connect Students with Local Employers
Arapahoe/Douglas Works! joined forces with Douglas County School District (DCSD) to host the first-ever Legacy Campus Career & Hiring Fair on February 28, 2025. The event allowed hundreds of high school students to interact with representatives from 63 local employers, explore various career options, hone their job interview techniques, and even land jobs on-the-spot in some instances. Students enrolled in Career and Technical Education classes at Legacy Campus were able to attend and many DCSD seniors who aren’t currently taking CTE classes at Legacy Campus also took advantage of the chance to connect with potential employers one-on-one.
ADWDB Receives High Performing Board Designation
The Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC) recognizes local workforce development boards as high performing when they meet a series of key performance indicators. The Arapahoe/Douglas Workforce Development Board (ADWDB) was awarded High Performing Board distinction and received the maximum point allotment for Program Year 2023.
National Disability Navigator Award
Congratulations Lia (Weiler) Gallagher, Disability Program Navigator at Arapahoe/Douglas Works!, for winning the Judy Emery “Genesis” Award. Lia was recognized for her leadership in navigating employment services for job seekers with disabilities at the June 11, 2024 National Navigator Exchange meeting hosted by the National Disability Institute. The award recognizes her passion, valuable community leadership, and innovation.
The award was named after Judy Emery who was a Project Manager at A/D Works! and the Colorado Urban Workforce Alliance (CUWA) Director. Judy served as the Lead for a Colorado ‘systems-change’ grant in 2000. Judy and her team piloted the establishment of a “Navigator” in workforce systems through this initiative. The model was expanded nationally in 2003. Judy’s vision and approach with workforce systems in alignment to strengthen the inclusion of people with disabilities in employment services was the genesis of a national phenomenon that continues in many workforce systems and states without federal grant support.
Lia “is the embodiment of Judy Emery’s spirit in this role” said Robin B.
Read more about Lia and other Colorado Navigators who were awarded ‘National Navigator Awards.’
Parents to Work Offers Support for Child Support
This year’s Parents to Work Accomplishment Ceremony was held on July 31, 2024. It is an evening of celebration to recognize the success of our participants! The event featured motivational guest speakers and awards.
Parents to Work is a partnership between Arapahoe County Child Support Services and Arapahoe/Douglas Works! that is designed to help individuals meet their obligations of child support while also being able to meet their day-to-day needs. Parents to Work offers employment, training, GED prep, and supportive services to both custodial and non-custodial parents with a child support case in Arapahoe County.
Over the last year, about 233 people utilized the Parents to Work Program and more than 5,000 services.
Andrea Barnum, Workforce Programs Manager, said “the program placed four customers in work-based learning experiences, assisted 13 customers in obtaining post-secondary training, graduated 31 fathers in the Fatherhood Program, and provided career navigation and exploration assistance that resulted in over 100 participants finding employment at an average wage of placement of $22.73 per hour.”
Read the full article from Colorado Community Media to learn more about the Parents to Work program.
September is Workforce Development Month
Governor Jared Polis has declared September Workforce Development Month. Each September, we celebrate Workforce Development Month to recognize, honor, and publicize the contributions of our nation’s workforce professionals. Workforce Development Month was created in 2005 by the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP). It is a great opportunity to heighten public awareness, strengthen alliances, leverage resources, and increase the number of people who understand the vital role workforce development plays in our nation’s economy. Read the full press release and proclamation.
Arapahoe/Douglas Works! staff are instrumental in the community, creating essential links between businesses that are looking to recruit jobseekers and the available education, training, and support resources.
Follow A/D Works! on X or LinkedIn to stay tuned to see how we are working to support employers, workers, job seekers, and learners across Arapahoe/Douglas counties.
On September 12th, there will be an Open House at the Castle Rock Workforce Center on the ACC Sturm Campus. The event offers an opportunity to meet your local workforce center staff and learn more about available services. There will also be job seeker and business networking.
Check out our website for more events happening during Workforce Development Month.
Collaborating to Highlight Essential Services
On July 13, 2024, the Aurora Police Department hosted the Northwest Aurora Neighborhood Resource Fair. It was a day filled with free food, safety giveaways, community resources, and fun activities for youth. Arapahoe/Douglas Works! partnered to showcase the valuable resources offered by the workforce center. “The event was well attended, despite the July heat” said Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman.
Preparing Young Adults for a Successful Summer Job Search
Approximately 30 young adults attended Arapahoe/Douglas Works!’ 2024 Young Adult Summer Job Hunt Boot Camp the week of June 3rd. The boot camp aims to assist young adults who are ready to start working and may benefit from the intensive support provided by workforce center staff.
Feedback from last year’s inaugural boot camp led to updated workshop content, which was very impactful. Young adults attended a morning workshop from 10:00 a.m. – 11:40 a.m. and an afternoon session from 12:20 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Throughout the week, various topics were covered, including tough conversations, workplace etiquette, self-advocacy, professional appearance (both in-person and on social media), introduction to labor market information, career exploration tools, finding job openings, avoiding scams, resume building, workplace values, interviewing, job fair preparation, and budgeting.
We would like to express our gratitude to the community partners who contributed their resources, conducted workshops, and helped promote the event. Special thanks go to Stephanie Crookston from UC Health/Project SEARCH, Beth Matuszewich from Bellco Credit Union, and Katie Kothenbeutel from Arapahoe Libraries for their presentations on various topics. We would also like to thank Katie for bringing Chromebooks from the library to utilize for activities, arc Thrift Stores for providing vouchers to enable attendees to purchase interview outfits, and Becky and Ricardo from Aurora Public School’s School to Work Alliance Program (SWAP) for providing staff support and collaboration on summer employment programming for SWAP-participating students.
The boot camp concluded on Friday, June 7, 2024, with a Young Adult Summer Job Fair. There is a high demand from 14-18 year-olds for summer employment and volunteer opportunities to start building their experience and resumes. More than 80 young adults, including boot camp participants, attended the fair.