We do one thing here at the Chamber: We put Coloradans to work. In really good jobs. And, we devote ourselves to this mission because we believe nothing creates more opportunity for a family or increases the likelihood of children realizing their dreams than when their parent has a good job. The other side of that coin is that we also believe few things are more devastating than when a family member loses a good job. Work is a powerful thing—besides allowing people to take care of themselves and their families financially, it increases people’s confidence and esteem and it delivers hope and possibility.
Each and every one of our members plays a role in helping us achieve this mission. You run great companies. You help influence policy to ensure Colorado is a great place to do business. You support and contribute to nonprofits. You pitch other companies to come here. And, most importantly, you hire people.
Lately, we’ve all been talking about how many jobs we’ve added in Colorado and how our unemployment rate has dropped. But when you dig into those statistics, we know there are Coloradans whose unemployment rate is higher—such as our veterans, our youth and people with disabilities. This week we’re focusing on people with disabilities because October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Here are a couple of interesting facts: people with disabilities make up about 20 percent of our workforce and are unemployed at a rate twice that of people without disabilities.
Here are some members who are doing something about those statistics:
Blue Star Recyclers, based in Colorado Springs, recycles electronic waste. By doing so they’ve created 38 jobs for people with autism and disabilities across four communities and recycled 6.8 million pounds of electronics. Talk about a win-win. And they’ve had no employee turnover or absenteeism—now that’s impressive. They are not only making our state greener but they are truly helping deliver on the promise that we have a job for every Coloradan. And, you can help: Donate your electronics to them and you will help put more Coloradans to work.
Goodwill Industries of Denver knows the power of work. They help people of all ages and abilities find meaningful employment, and creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities is part of their focus. In fact, Goodwill is the only vocational service program in Colorado for adults who are deaf or hard of hearing. And, yes, you can help: Donate your used clothing, household items and office furnishings and you will be putting more Coloradans to work.
Laradon works here in Denver to provide a variety of services to people with disabilities including employment. Whether offering support and training to help people get and keep a job, be part of a work team or volunteer, Laradon’s services help people build confidence and find the right fit that allows them to be more self-sufficient. Laradon also serves people whose disability is challenging enough that they cannot work, but you can still help. Donations will ensure those who can work find meaningful opportunities to do so or get the support services they need.
Each of these organizations is helping make sure ALL Coloradans find their place at work.
And, there’s one more thing you can do: You can create a work environment that offers training to interns and attracts employees with disabilities. There’s lot of support to help you do just that—our own Laradon and Goodwill have programs for employers.
Meaningful work changes lives—help us find more ways to give every Coloradan the chance to work.
Kelly Brough is president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.