Colorado hands out grants aimed at college

BY SARA MARTIN CHALKBEAT COLORADO

Colorado is investing a chunk of its federal relief money in the future of students to boost the job economy.

e Polis administration announced in June that the state would award $27 million to 46 groups across the state in a rst round of funding to support workforce training in local urban, suburban and rural economies via the Opportunity Now Colorado grant program. Grants range from $50,000 to $7 million.

e grants aim to make college more accessible for high school students, open educational opportunities for older adults who never attended or nished college, and “are intended to help connect more Coloradans with in-demand, high-wage occupations,” according to the governor’s o ce. It also will fund healthcare education programs in order to address the healthcare worker shortage that has been a persistent problem throughout the pandemic.

“ is is designed to help ll the workforce gap and get people the skills they need for positions that are available