YOUR AD HERE »

Summit business news: Workforce Centers promoting job training programs

Greg Ellison
gellison@summitdaily.com

Workforce Centers promoting job training programs

Colorado Workforce Centers in the Rural Resort Region (Eagle, Garfield, Lake, Pitkin and Summit counties) are amplifying efforts to publicize on-the-job training programs available for out-of-work job seekers and employers.

Grant dollars are available through the U.S. Department of Labor to assist workers in updating their job proficiencies and potentially acquiring new job skills, according to a press release from the Colorado Office of Government Policy and Public Relations. The goal is to return workers with sought-after skills to the job market.



The hope is that the grant dollars will benefit employers throughout the five counties by addressing a perceived disconnect between abilities they seek compared to the skills job applicants offer.

The grant money is intended to grow a skilled workforce and return the unemployed to the workplace, while reducing turnover and training costs for businesses, the press release said.



The on-the-job training grants reimburse employers up to one-half of a trainee’s gross wages for the length of their training period. The program is customizable to ensure employers will obtain the results sought.

Rosemary Pettus, director of the Workforce Centers across the Rural Resort Region, said the program provides employers with free screening, assessment and referrals of applicants. The employer makes final hiring decisions, sets job-performance standards and may terminate the employee if deemed necessary.

“Our staff will assist employers through all phases of the program, and we will provide prompt monthly payments with a minimum of paperwork,” she said.

The funding will not be available indefinitely, and she urges employers and those seeking work to use the resources while available.

“Our goal is to ensure that businesses have the opportunity to benefit from these grant dollars while the funding remains available,” she said.

For more information, contact your nearest Workforce Center. A full list can be found at Colorado.gov/cdle/wfc.

The Shores at Breckenridge selling at brisk pace

The first phase of luxury homes at the Shores at Breckenridge have been released, and initial sales have been brisk, Margaret Thomas, public relations spokeswoman for the Shores, wrote in a press release.

The first phase of six homes started delivery in July and will be fully finished by October. Three of these have already been purchased, and one is presently under contract, she wrote.

The 10-acre resort community is located along the Blue River and owned by Meriwether Companies in Boulder and Pathfinder Partners in San Diego.

According to Noah Hahn, managing partner at Meriwether, the developments initial success is attributable to both the unique location on Blue River and an increased demand for new construction in mountain resorts with year-round activities.

“There has been little new home construction in the mountains over the last seven years,” he wrote. “Colorado mountain towns, renowned for their winters, are surging in popularity with summer vacationers, fly fishermen, hikers, bikers and nature enthusiasts.”

The homes feature open-floor plans, vaulted ceilings, large windows, natural stone accents, oak flooring and knotty alder, shaker-style cabinetry.

The developers acquired 20 lots, with two 2,500-square-foot duplexes planned on each, for a total of 40 residences. Construction began in 2014 on the first phase, and the second phase is in progress with deliveries anticipated for Summer 2016. Once finished, the Shores will feature 56 paired homes, with three or four bedrooms with close proximity to the Blue River.

Prices for the two remaining homes in phase one of construction range from $989,000 to $1,625,000.

State’s Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry forms advisory group

This Monday, Colorado’s new Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry announced the creation of an advisory group that will work on executing the results of a statewide listening tour.

Luis Benitez, director of OREC, began his position in July and spent the first three months on a statewide listening tour. In addition to visiting a wide array of outdoor recreation-based businesses, he also visited nonprofits and major national industry gatherings.

Through these efforts, he said he gained clarity on Colorado’s outdoor recreation community and industry.

The advisory group consists of 20 Coloradans representing the state’s recreation industry and community. It will focus on four key points developed from the listening tour. These include: economic development; stewardship and conservation; industry anchors; and education.

“One of the key four points of focus is economic development, and the advisory group understands the bridge between economic development and growing a healthy and prosperous community,” Benitez said. “This office is the state’s acknowledgement of how important the outdoor recreation community is to us as Coloradans.”

The advisory group unites people with divergent outdoor recreation backgrounds who are now committed to aligning toward the common goal of supporting and expanding Colorado’s outdoor recreation industry.

The OREC reports that Colorado’s outdoor recreation businesses create $13.2 billion annually in consumer spending, 125,000 jobs in the state and $994 million in state and local tax revenues.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

As a Summit Daily News reader, you make our work possible.

Summit Daily is embarking on a multiyear project to digitize its archives going back to 1989 and make them available to the public in partnership with the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. The full project is expected to cost about $165,000. All donations made in 2023 will go directly toward this project.

Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference.