National Recognition for Colorado’s Fast Track Hiring Events
WASHINGTON – The National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) honored the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment with the prestigious Pinnacle Award for Business Development at the 2024 Winter Policy Forum in Washington, D.C. Presented by the Employment & Training Committee, this award is bestowed upon a state demonstrating excellence and innovation in the area of employer engagement.
Through a collaboration with the state’s Job for Veterans State Grant Unit (JVSG) and Department of Corrections (CDOC), the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment created the Fast Track Hiring Events to help fill correctional officer vacancies. These events provide job seekers same-day job offers and have streamlined CDOC’s hiring process while increasing the employment rate with a special emphasis placed on unemployed veterans.
The program uses robust skills-based hiring practices to circumvent relational barriers to employment often faced by veterans. A total of 89 Fast Track Hiring Events have been executed since 2022, resulting in 635 direct hires with 235 of those being veterans.
"The Fast Track Hiring Events implemented in Colorado have helped close a gap in the shortage of these vital correctional officer positions,” NASWA President and CEO Scott B. Sanders said. “By placing an importance on veterans, this initiative is making an even greater impact.”
“It’s a real honor and privilege to see the work of our veterans services and employment and training teams receive this recognition,” said CDLE Executive Director Joe Barela. “Not only was the Fast Track hiring event series a true testament to the collaboration of our teams within CDLE, it’s an indication of how we work cohesively with other state agencies and industries across sectors to respond to the ever-evolving needs of Colorado’s workforce. The government sector is one of the largest sources of employment in our state, and this is just one of many examples of how our agency supports employers by connecting them with the talent they need to thrive all while helping Coloradans secure good jobs paying livable wages.”
For more information, visit NASWA’s Winter Policy Forum and Employment & Training Committee webpages.
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About the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (cdle.colorado.gov): The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment’s (CDLE) vision is to create a working economy that elevates all of Colorado. In pursuit of this vision, the 1,300-person state agency’s seven divisions and three special offices help the state’s employers and workers prosper: employers benefit from CDLE’s work to improve Colorado’s talent pipeline, its recruitment assistance, its economic updates, and more. The agency helps workers with and without disabilities pursue their career goals through job training, job search assistance, and career counseling. CDLE works to help workers, employers, and communities thrive by ensuring fair labor practices, providing unemployment insurance and paid family and medical leave, and protecting Colorado communities through consumer protection and safety programs. CDLE is primarily funded through federal and cash funds. Factors that influence its work and funding include federal legislation, budgets, and the state’s economic health.
