Imagine a program that gives people free or low-cost training with no debt, that boosts skills, and helps them find a better paying job.
A new venture made possible by Colorado Gives Foundation and local funders called the Colorado Pay It Forward Fund (COPIFF) is doing just that by providing livable wage job training options to Coloradans of all ages and backgrounds.
While Colorado may have a strong economy with open jobs that pay livable wages, too often the path to become qualified for those positions is expensive, long, and doesn’t guarantee future employment.
COPIFF offers a dynamic menu of best-in-class training programs that’s proven to lead to good jobs in less than a year. It’s all made possible by this unique pay-it-forward model. When students land good jobs and pay back their loans, that money goes toward offering another student an interest-free loan. This way, students ‘pay it forward’ and share the opportunity with other learners.
| Learners
Start your learning today! You can find more information on education and training programs funded by COPIFF on BetterOffer Colorado. These programs are available to students with no up-front costs, and many are 100% free. For those that charge tuition, low interest-free loans are available and only repayable when graduates land a future job that pays at least $40,000 / year. In other words, no long-term debt.
Employers, trainers & educators
Employers can take advantage of the COPIFF program in two primary ways.
- Hire COPIFF learners
- Involve your job training program by demonstrating:
- Focus on diverse, under-represented, under-employed communities
- High completion and job placement rates
- Program graduate starting wages of at least $40K+ per year
- Partnerships with employers who prioritize training program graduates in their hiring
- Ongoing data-sharing to validate student and employer success metrics.
| Help Spread The Word
Partners and nonprofits can build awareness by sharing information about BetterOffer with their communities. Use this email template to copy, paste and send to your clients today.
Invite your community to take advantage of this opportunity and provide us feedback on job pathways you’d like us to prioritize as we grow this list. Here is a one-page flyer you can share.
BetterOffer is made possible by Colorado Gives Foundation and local funders, including Colorado Health Foundation, Gary Community Ventures, The Walton Family Foundation, The Colorado Equitable Economic Mobility Initiative and others.
