Narrative: b. 6.

The State of Colorado  will continue to encourage the SCSEP sub-grantee to provide participants with the training they will need for unsubsidized employment. This training may include skills training, life skills education, job seeking and interviewing skills, and the skills needed to obtain and keep meaningful unsubsidized work. Once the base line has been established, then the grantee with the help of the sub-grantee can look at what will need to change in order for the established USDOL goals to be met., if anything, in order for us to meet the goals that have been established by USDOL. 

• The sub-grantee will continue to base community service job training assignments on the participant’s assessments and the Individual Employment Plan (IEP). Using these tools will help the sub-grantee place the participant in a community assignment that not only interests them, but is appropriate for the participant’s level of skill, previous training, and any physical or mental obstacles that the participant may have. Being in the right assignment will help the participant learn the skills or hone the skills they have to find unsubsidized work that is both meaningful work and work the participant will enjoy. 
• The sub-grantee will continue to monitor and work with the participant after they have found unsubsidized employment to ensure that the participant has the tools and encouragement they need to be successful in their new job. This follow up may include more skills training or coaching. This training will be done through local resources that are at no cost or very little cost to the participant or the SCSEP program. The primary purpose is to enhance the participant’s ability to succeed at their new job. 
• The grantee and subgrantee do have some concerns in meeting the unsubsidized goals being set for the state of Colorado. While the unemployment rate is low in Colorado at 3.1 %, the minimum wage is above the federal minimum wage at $13.65 for 2023 and the economy is strong in Colorado. This has and is creating some unique challenges for the SCSEP program. With the higher minimum wage and lower or flat federal funding, the impact of each WIOA dollar has been diminished. In PY 2023 our modified positions number was 46. The other major issue, and more importantly with the good economy in Colorado, is the cost of living has increased to a point where it is very difficult for our participants to live without some form of subsidized support from the state or county. Besides food assistance many of our participants receive housing and medical assistance and without this help they would not be able to maintain their current way of life. What we are encountering with unsubsidized work is our participants are turning down the work because if they take the job they will be above the income guidelines to receive some or all of the subsidies they have been receiving. The pay, while good at $13.00 or above, is still not enough to support the participant after the program so while they are very grateful for the training, they simply cannot afford to take an unsubsidized job. 
• Colorado and our sub-grantee will continue to work with participants, the workforce centers, and various employers to help our participants find meaningful unsubsidized employment that they are not only qualified for, but that they enjoy doing. 
• As we have done in the past the grantee and subgrantee will continue to monitor all the performance goals so that we are meeting or exceeding the new performance goals that have been set for us.