Category: News

Business owners from the Metro area shared their expertise at a Business Spotlight hosted at Arapahoe/Douglas Works! Workforce Center on February 22, 2023. The panel of four business owners represented Restaurant, Retail, Transportation, and Personal Services industries. Panelists shared start-up information, current business and marketing strategies, and future plans.

Featured Panelists:

Dawn Wlyde, the CEO of Artcraft Sign Company, a custom sign fabrication company.

Keisha Bradley, the CEO of KB’s Vegan Kitchen, a vegan catering company.

Clarence Thedford, the owner of Mile High Solutions Network LLC, an electric vehicle charging infrastructure business.

Courtney Samuel, the owner of Bodies by Perseverance, an exclusive personal training and fitness gym.

Free webinars help small and micro-businesses navigate new and existing technology challenges  

A free new online training program from the Arapahoe/Douglas Works! Workforce Center gives small and micro-business owners the knowledge and expertise needed to run their businesses in today’s tech-savvy world.

Arapahoe/Douglas Works! Workforce Center hosted the 2023 Conference for the Metro Denver Retail Partnership at CentrePoint Plaza on February 16^th. The goal of the conference was to re-engage businesses in the sector partnership by demonstrating how the partnership can assist them with developing a viable talent pipeline.

The partnership’s focus includes retail, hospitality, and food and beverage businesses. The conference featured a welcome introduction from Jason Lusk of Visit Denver, followed by a robust presentation from state demographer, Elizabeth Garner. Both speakers provided insights into tourism, the labor market, legislative and economic updates, and workforce trends. A business panel provided their insights into their available opportunities and struggles with hiring and retention.

A workforce panel offered work-based learning and apprenticeship solutions, including other no-cost services available at workforce centers that assist businesses with addressing their pain points. The nearly 50 attendees included a wide variety of representatives from various businesses, local chambers, the Department of Corrections, and training providers.

If you are interested in learning more about this or other sector partnerships, visit https://bit.ly/3lMWlJm or contact the A/D Works! Business Services team.

“A hand up, not a handout, to cross the benefits cliff,” is an article written by Gabriella Chiarenza that highlights the issue of the benefits cliff, which occurs when low-income individuals and families receive government assistance, such as food stamps or housing subsidies, but as their income increases, they lose access to these benefits.

The labor supply/demand report presents information that can help businesses and job seekers better understand current economic and labor force trends.

National Career Coach Day is an annual celebration that occurs on January 8th. It’s a day to recognize the important work that career coaches do, and to raise awareness about the benefits of seeking out career coaching services.

The DVR (Division of Vocational Rehabilitation) Aurora office is working with the Disability Program Navigator (DPN) out of the Arapahoe/Douglas Works! Workforce Center to assist more individuals with disabilities and help them find or sustain employment.

The Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC) released the 2022 Talent Pipeline Report on Dec. 13, 2022. This ninth iteration of the Talent Pipeline Report analyzes and explains labor market information, highlights talent development strategies, and provides data-informed opportunities to enhance the talent pipeline in Colorado.

Apprenticeships are not just for the trades. From arborists to digital marketers, registered nurses, advanced manufacturing, and everything in between, there’s something for everyone. Employers who host apprenticeship programs benefit from reduced turnover and company risk, lower recruitment costs, and improved employee loyalty.

Apprenticeships in the construction trades are well known, but did you know there are many other occupations that also offer this type of paid, hands-on learning and training?