Wednesday, November 14, 2007

COLORADO RECEIVES TWO GRANTS TO ASSIST MILITARY SPOUSES WITH JOB TRAINING

COLORADO RECEIVES TWO GRANTS TO ASSIST MILITARY SPOUSES
IN NEED OF JOB TRAINING SKILLS

Gov. Bill Ritter announced today that Colorado has received two
federal grants worth $2.6 million that will provide training funds to
the spouses of military service personnel, assisting them in making
career advancements.

"Military spouses are often moving two or three times a year," Gov.
Ritter said. "They have to pack up and take off, making sacrifices
that many of the rest of America cannot even imagine. This funding
will help them gain the skills needed to successfully enter, navigate
and advance in 21st century jobs."

The grant funds are being provided by the U.S. Departments of Labor
and Defense and will be administered by the Colorado Department of
Labor and Employment and Workforce Centers across the state.

The first grant totals $600,000 and is part of the "Military Spouse
Career Advancement Initiative." Military spouses with a high school
diploma or GED and/or some level of post secondary education can apply
for up to $6,000 over two years in the form of a Career Advancement
Account.

This money can be used to pay for expenses directly related to post-
secondary education and training, including tuition, books, necessary
equipment, and credentialing and licensing fees in nationally
identified high-growth fields such as education, health care,
information technology, construction trades and financial services.

The second grant is for $2.1 million and is being made available as
part of the Base Closure and Realignment process.Colorado is not among
the states that will see base closures. Instead, these funds will
assist military families as well as the families of Department of
Defense civilian employees who will be redeployed to bases in Denver,
El Paso and Teller counties.

Colorado Springs will face the challenge of thousands of service
personnel and their families being redeployed to the Fort Carson Air
Force Base over the next few years. Redeployment and relocation can
be difficult for spouses, who often find themselves in a new city
without the career they had to leave behind. This grant will address
their employment and retraining needs.

"Opportunity starts with education," said Colorado Department of Labor
and Employment Executive Director Donald J. Mares, "and thanks to this
financial partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor and the
Department of Defense, we can offer opportunities to a significant
number of military families. These grants will help build a vibrant
and dedicated workforce for Colorado."

To learn more about the grant programs and training dollars that are
available, military spouses should contact their nearest Colorado
Workforce Center (click here for a directory of Workforce Centers).