CWDC Launches Upskilling Partnership to Connect Frontline Retail Employees with Pathways to Career Opportunity
April 17, 2020
This is an excerpt from a post published by our partner. Read the original article at CWDC.Colorado.gov.
As the impact of COVID-19 continues to be felt in communities across Colorado, the retail and hospitality industries face unique economic challenges. The CWDC remains committed to its efforts to support frontline workers and create pathways to employment in a rapidly changing economy.
The CWDC launched the Lives Empowered Training Academy as one of several efforts targeted at upskilling the retail frontline workforce in Colorado. Developed in partnership with Penn Foster, a leader in upskilling and workforce development, the platform provides free training to help retail employees across the state advance their career goals.
At launch, the Lives Empowered Training Academy features four programs designed to support workers as they move up in the retail industry. The academy’s general career readiness course focuses on the soft skills needed for all professions, from core technology tools to understanding professional etiquette. There are also more tailored programs designed for specific fields, including Retail Industry Fundamentals, whose curriculum was designed by the National Retail Federation Foundation’s RISE Up initiative. In order to best meet the needs of working adults, the Lives Empowered Training Academy will be administered through a self-paced, mobile-friendly learning platform — and learners will also have access to state-of-the-art technical support to help them stay on track.
The Lives Empowered Training Academy is available to frontline workers in Colorado’s retail industry. To help mitigate the impacts of COVID-19, recently displaced retail workers are encouraged to register for Training Academy programs and register in Connecting Colorado to explore additional job opportunities to begin working again.
As workers in all facets of the economy face unprecedented complexity in the coming months, we hope this program will help equip Coloradans with the tools necessary to strengthen their existing skills and succeed in future job opportunities.
About Lives Empowered
Lives Empowered brings together retail businesses interested in working collaboratively to increase economic mobility for frontline workers across Colorado and contribute to a strong economy. Lives Empowered is made possible by a $4.1 million grant from Walmart to the Colorado Workforce Development Council.
Reach Out to Penn Foster
If you have questions about our newest partnership or setting up training initiatives for your employees or students, reach out to us today at [email protected].
Source: WDC.Colorado.gov