Press Release: Workforce Colorado Rural Alliance Hosts Free Workshop Series to Support Employers with Skills-First Hiring

(Huerfano County, Colo.) - The Workforce Colorado Rural Alliance is hosting a series of workshops to support employers in South Central Colorado to modernize their recruitment efforts with a focus on skills-first hiring practices. The tour will make stops in eight counties beginning the week of January 12, 2026.

Each "Skills-First Hiring Tips for Employers" workshop is free and will help businesses explore how to use the "Task vs. Skill" process to identify and secure the most qualified candidates for their open positions. Attendees will learn to break down a job role into specific tasks and map them to the necessary skills. For example, hiring managers will review scenarios to move beyond simply hiring "a machinist" and will better understand how to identify the exact skills that a machinist needs to perform quality control.

"We want to ensure every business in our rural communities knows they don't have to navigate skills-first hiring alone," said Tom Lopez, a business services representative with Workforce Colorado Rural Alliance. "Our goal is to bring these powerful, no-cost resources directly to employers, ensuring they are ready to meet their 2026 hiring goals."

Highlights from the workshop agenda include:

• The "Task vs. Skill" Advantage: Learn to define the skills required for every task to eliminate guesswork and improve candidate quality.
• Data-Driven Hiring: Utilize Lightcast, a comprehensive labor data tool, to match applicant skills to specific business needs.
• AI-Assisted Recruitment: leverage Connecting Colorado's new AI tools to craft attention-getting job descriptions based on skills-based criteria.
• 2026 Labor Law Updates: Get critical updates on new regulations such as minimum wage requirements.

Workshops will be held throughout the south central region on the dates listed below. Each stop of the tour (along with additional events for job seekers and employers across the state) is published on the Business Services Events Calendar at wcra.colorado.gov. Employers are encouraged to register at ConnectingColorado.gov.

Skills-First Hiring Tips for Employers:

• Huerfano County
  Tuesday, January 13, 2026
  4 - 6 p.m.
  201 E. 5th St., Walsenburg, CO 81089
  
• Saguache County
  Wednesday, January 14, 2026
  4 - 6 p.m.
  305 3rd St., Saguache, CO 81149
  Road & Bridge Conference Room
  
• Rio Grande County
  Thursday, January 15, 2026
  4 - 6 p.m.
  207 Sherman Ave., Monte Vista, CO 81144
  
• Alamosa County
  Wednesday, January 21, 2026
  4 - 6 p.m.
  610 State St., Alamosa, CO 81110
  
• Baca County
  Thursday, January 22, 2026
  4 - 6 p.m.
  29400 US-287, Springfield, CO 81073
  
• Conejos County
  Monday, January 26, 2026
  4 - 6 p.m.
  17703 US Hwy 285, La Jara, CO 81140
  
• Costilla, County
  Tuesday, January 27, 2026
  4 - 6 p.m.
  17591 US-160, Blanca, CO 81123, USA
  
• Las Animas, County
  Wednesday, January 28, 2026
  5 - 7 p.m.
  140 N Commercial St, Trinidad, CO 81082

About Workforce Colorado Rural Alliance
Previously known as the Colorado Rural Workforce Consortium, the Workforce Colorado Rural Alliance is one of 10 local workforce areas within Colorado's public workforce system, providing workforce development services and support to communities across 51 rural counties. Administered by the Colorado Department of Labor & Employment (CDLE)'s Employment & Training Division, the Rural Alliance team meets the needs of individual regions via local workforce centers embedded within local communities. No-cost services are offered to both job seekers and employers including but not limited to: career counseling and planning, resume and cover letter assistance, mock interviews, workshops and skills training, access to job postings and job search resources, employer support analyzing local labor market information, employer education, recruitment and retention support.

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