The purpose of the ES program is to bring together individuals looking for employment and employers looking for job seekers

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) received a Formula Grant award of $24.3 million from the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) under the Employment Service/Wagner-Peyser Funded Activities program (CFDA 17.207), effective July 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028. This universal access employment services program connects job seekers with employers by providing career services including labor exchange services, job search assistance, workforce information, career interest assessments, career guidance, job search workshops, and employment referrals. The program explicitly excludes training services and serves all individuals without eligibility restrictions, with particular priority extended to veterans and other covered populations.

CDLE distributed sub-awards to multiple county workforce development entities across Colorado—including Weld, Mesa, Jefferson, Boulder, Larimer, Adams, Arapahoe, and Denver—to deliver employment services at the local level. Sub-awardees utilize Wagner-Peyser funding to operate workforce centers providing career services, job search assistance, workforce information, and employment referrals to both job seekers and employers. Additionally, CDLE allocated targeted sub-awards to support Migrant Seasonal Farm Worker (MSFW) services through Weld County and youth employment services through multiple counties, addressing elevated unemployment rates among youth ages 14-24 and supporting workforce recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Activities

The ES is a universal access program that provides services to all individuals who need services. Allowable services include assessments of career interests, career guidance when appropriate, job search workshops, and referral to jobs or training as appropriate. Services offered to employers include referral of job seekers to job openings matching job requirements with applicants experience, skills and other attributes helping with special recruitment needs assisting employers with hard-to-fill job orders assisting with job restructuring and helping employers assist laid-off workers. Training services are not provided and not allowable under ES program.

Expected outcomes

The ES program outcomes are to ensure that individuals are able to access and receive the services they need to overcome barriers to employment and reenter the workforce system as quickly as possible.

Intended beneficiaries

This is a universal access program that is available to all individuals.

Subrecipient activities

The grantees may subaward funds to conduct LMI research as well as the provision of specific services such as assessments of career interests, career guidance, job search workshops, referral to jobs or training as appropriate, and others.