The Colorado Career Advisor Training Grant Program is dedicated to enhancing the skills of career advising professionals across various sectors in Colorado. By providing targeted training, the program aims to significantly boost the state’s career advising capabilities and broaden its overall impact.
With approximately $972,000 allocated for the 2023-24 Colorado Career Advisor Training Grant through June 30, 2025, this initiative represents a substantial investment in the future of career guidance in Colorado.
Program Objectives: Key Areas of Focus
The grant program is structured around several key objectives, each designed to address critical aspects of career advisor training and development:
Objective 1: Comprehensive Landscape Review of Career Advising Resources
A crucial first step is to understand the existing ecosystem of career advising resources within Colorado. This objective tasks The Attainment Network with conducting a thorough review across diverse sectors, including K-12 education, higher education, workforce development, school counseling, community-based organizations, youth organizations, and state agencies. The review will encompass professional development opportunities, training programs, conferences, state organizations, and relevant online resources. The ultimate outcome is a summary report with actionable recommendations, potentially including suggested tools, to effectively utilize and integrate these available resources.
Objective 2: Stakeholder Engagement through Regional and Virtual Forums
To ensure the development of a truly inclusive and effective statewide ICAP/career pathways platform, Bellwether and Business Education Alliance are leading the effort to gather feedback from a wide range of stakeholders. This objective involves planning and executing at least four regional in-person forums and two virtual forums. These forums are designed to collect diverse perspectives and insights, directly contributing to the development of a statewide platform that aligns with recommendation #5 of the 1215 Task Force Final Report.
Objective 3: Development of an Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) Framework
Recognizing the importance of structured career planning, Bellwether and YAASPA are collaborating to draft an Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) framework for Colorado. This framework will serve as a statewide guide for career advising, with a significant focus on broadening the scope of ICAPs to effectively include adult learners. For adults, the “academic” element will be expanded to encompass credentials and various forms of professional development. Stakeholder feedback is essential to ensure the framework is comprehensive and adaptable to diverse needs.
Objective 4: Recommendations for a Colorado Career Advisor Credential
Professional recognition and standards are vital for career advising. YAASPA is responsible for developing recommendations for the creation of a Colorado Career Advisor Credential. This objective includes exploring alignment with national criteria in career advising and considering options such as an endorsement for licensed educators or pathways to acquire existing national career credentials for advisors within the state. This step aims to elevate the profession and ensure consistent standards of practice.
Objective 5: Statewide Career Advising Conference
Bringing together career advisors from across Colorado is a key component of this initiative. The Business Education Alliance is tasked with coordinating a statewide career advising conference, anticipating over 500 attendees from all advising sectors. The conference will serve as a platform to disseminate the findings and outcomes of Objectives 1-4. Session proposals will prioritize cross-training between advising sectors, updates on regional training collaboratives (as outlined in HB24-1365;), incorporating student and job-seeker perspectives, raising awareness of high-demand careers in Colorado, and showcasing other relevant career training opportunities and resources.
Objective 6: Maintenance of Colorado Career Advising Tool
Ensuring continued access to valuable online resources is critical. Indigo Education Company is responsible for the basic maintenance of the Colorado Career Advising tool, a free online resource developed in the previous round of funding. This maintenance ensures that career advisors and individuals in Colorado can continue to benefit from this essential tool.
Program Overview: Building on Past Success
Colorado has a history of innovation in career advising. In 2019, the state pioneered the Colorado Career Conversations Training project, a first-of-its-kind initiative to train career advisors across various systems. While the initial project was impacted by COVID-19 related funding disruptions, its impact was undeniable.
Evaluations of the initial Colorado Career Conversations Training project highlighted its success in expanding the number of highly skilled career advisors statewide, particularly in high-demand sectors. It also demonstrated the project’s effectiveness in building a more consistent and sustainable approach to career advising in Colorado, establishing a model for other states to emulate.
Building on this foundation, the Colorado General Assembly passed Senate Bill 22-165 in the 2022 session to reinstate the Colorado Career Advising Training Grant Program. The renewed program continues to focus on providing high-quality training to career advising professionals across all sectors. This strategic approach minimizes redundancy, empowers career advisors to refine and enhance their expertise, and ensures that evidence-based practices and data-driven decisions, informed by Colorado’s labor market information, are central to career advising processes throughout the state.
Contact Information
For further information regarding the Colorado Career Advisor Training Grant Program, please contact:
Michelle Romero
E-mail: [email protected]
