Our Vision

A culture of inclusive, meaningful, and competitive employment for all people.

Training

Skill development through performance-based training and on-going learning communities. 

Career Seeker Resources

Information to help you get connected for a pathway to meaningful employment.

Get Involved

Upcoming events, news and Employment First updates at your fingertips.

Our Mission

Leading Colorado toward equitable employment for all people with disabilities through collaboration, systems innovation, and training excellence.

Collaboration

Promoting work as part of a financially secure, healthy, and fulfilled life.

Systems Innovation

Convening to improve policies, remove barriers, bust myths, and promote technology.

Training Excellence

Elevating evidence-based strategies through training and learning communities.

 Why Employment First Why Employment First? All people have talents to benefit their communities and workplaces. Everyone deserves equitable wages and opportunities for advancement. Read More A visually impaired person using assistive technology at a bus stop. What makes employment competitive and integrated? A job within the community, in an inclusive setting, paying fair wages, and providing equal advancement opportunity for all. Coffee shop employee with Down Syndrome with coworkers. How do businesses benefit? Diversifying workplaces and linking into the untapped labor pool of people with disabilities make good business sense for Colorado's employers. Employee with Down Syndrome in a business meeting When does employment planning begin? The time to begin exploring and recognizing the power and importance of employment begins in childhood. Informed and empowered youth and family members are key.

Start young, start now!

Job Success — Perspectives

Entrepreneurial Success

“I got help to write my business plan, and then I started my clothing line. I love my business.”
— Keaunna Figgers, owner of c-21PROJECT.com
 

Keaunna Figgers, owner of c-21PROJECT.com
Keaunna Figgers
Customized Employment Pacesetter

“Customized employment provides job opportunities for those with the greatest challenges who may not otherwise become employed.” — Margaret Sanderson, Customized Job Developer in the San Luis Valley

Margaret Sanderson, Customized Job Developer in the San Luis Valley
Margaret Sanderson

Our Vision

A culture of inclusive, meaningful, and competitive employment for all people.

Subscribe to our Communications

When you sign up for our communications, you will receive training announcements, our quarterly newsletter, information on special events, partners updates, advancement in our field, and more!

After you click “Subscribe,” expect a notification in your email. Be sure to check all tabs in your inbox and your spam folder. The email notification will ask you to confirm your decision to subscribe. You will not start receiving communications until this step is complete.

SNAP Recipient?

Are you looking for the job seeking services connected with food assistance benefits, otherwise known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Food Stamps? While you may be interested in the employment and disability topics on this website, we want you to also have the link to the Employment First program for Coloradans receiving SNAP.

The Colorado Office of Employment First sits under JFK Partners, the state’s University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, a program of the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Its creation was envisioned by Colorado Employment First Advisory Partnership (EFAP), a multi-state agency and stakeholder-led collaborative, and was made possible, in part, by funding from the Colorado Legislature and generously matched through the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) at the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE).

© 2020 Colorado Office of Employment First. All Rights Reserved.

Subscribe to our Communications

Stay informed on training events and Employment First updates.

    Back to top