The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) is pleased to announce the launch of the 42nd annual Governor’s Summer Job Hunt (GSJH), Colorado’s longest running and most successful youth employment program. Youth between the ages of 16 and 24 are encouraged to contact their local Workforce Center to learn about how the expert staff can help them as they begin their careers, at no cost to them.
Since its inception in 1981, the GSJH has connected tens of thousands of Colorado’s high school and college students, as well as youth who are not in school, to training and employment opportunities, giving them a chance to learn new skills, explore career pathways, and gain on-the-job experience.
“When teens and young adults understand all of their career options, they’re able to make informed decisions,” said Joe Barela, CDLE’s Executive Director. “The Governor’s Summer Job Hunt helps Colorado’s younger workers by exposing them to new experiences, which equip them with the knowledge and skills they need to better understand where they want to go and how to get there. Ingraining these foundational work skills into our younger population now will only elevate Colorado’s workforce-wide productivity in the years ahead.”
The GSJH is just one of many initiatives designed to help young workers find jobs and careers in the wake of the pandemic. Some of the funding from HB21-1264’s Reskilling, Upskilling, Nextskilling (RUN) is being applied toward connecting youth and others looking to advance their careers with opportunities to earn short-term credentials leading to in-demand, well-paying jobs. Participants can choose from hundreds of certificates in fields as diverse as the trades, communications and marketing, software engineering, and project management.
Over the past four decades, the GSJH has assisted more than 600,000 young people, connecting them to full-time and part-time jobs based on their interests and ambitions. The program also provides no-cost career services, including guidance on how to write a robust resume, how to interview well, and how to perform an effective job search.
“This program opens doors for young learners,” said Governor Jared Polis. “Thanks to this innovative partnership between employers and our world class education system, we’re strengthening talent pipelines while helping young Coloradans apply what they’ve learned in classrooms to succeed in the real world and get into good jobs.”
For teens who would like some help in their job search and for employers who would like more information about the Governor’s Summer Job Hunt, the staff at Workforce Centers statewide are ready to assist. To find the office nearest you and to discover the wealth of services available this summer, please visit the Governor’s Summer Job Hunt website at: cdle.colorado.gov/jobs-training/youth/gsjh.