Regional Workforce Development Specialist Emergent Campus

Fremont Economic Development Corp.; Florence (CO); On-site; USD 50,000 - 61,000; Part time

Job summary

Emergent Campus is seeking a Regional Workforce Development Specialist to support and expand workforce development and economic mobility across Southern Colorado. This is a part-time, 1099 independent contractor role with an anticipated 20 hours per week and a grant-funded two-year term.

The contractor will coach job seekers, connect them to education and training resources, build employer partnerships, and support regional entrepreneurship and small business initiatives to strengthen career

Qualifications

• Experience in workforce development, career coaching, economic development, recruiting, education, human resources, entrepreneurship, community development, or a related field.
• Strong relationship-building, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Experience working with employers, job seekers, entrepreneurs, educational institutions, or community partners.
• Ability to provide individualized coaching and connect individuals with appropriate resources and opportunities.
• Strong organizational and project-management skills with the ability to independently

Responsibilities

• Provide individualized career coaching and workforce navigation to job seekers across Southern Colorado.
• Help individuals identify career pathways aligned with their skills, experience, interests, and regional employment opportunities.
• Support job seekers with resumes, interview preparation, professional development, job searches, and employer connections.
• Connect participants with relevant education, training, credentialing, and workforce resources.
• Support participants throughout the employment placement process.
• Build and maintain relationships with regional employers to understand hiring needs, workforce challenges, and available career opportunities.
• Identify employment opportunities and facilitate connections between employers and qualified candidates.
• Collaborate with educational institutions, workforce organizations, economic development partners, nonprofits, and other community organizations.
• Participate in relevant workforce events, employer meetings, career fairs, networking opportunities, and regional initiatives.
• Strengthen coordination among employers, education providers, workforce organizations, and job seekers.
• Provide coaching, navigation, and resource connections to entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses.
• Connect entrepreneurs with mentorship, business resources, funding opportunities, professional networks, and regional support organizations.
• Support startup incubation activities and connections to Emergent Campus programming.
• Help strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem and increase access to resources within business support activities.
• Maintain accurate documentation and data necessary for grant reporting and program evaluation.
• Coordinate with Emergent Campus leadership and program staff to achieve grant deliverables and organizational program goals.
• Provide regular updates on activities, outcomes, opportunities, and challenges.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen or expand workforce programming based on employer and community needs.

Skills

Relationship-building

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Independent work

Job description

Job: Regional Workforce Development Specialist

Regional Workforce Development Specialist

Expected Commitment: Approximately 20 hours per week

Compensation: $55,000 annually

Term: Grant-Funded | Two-Year Contract Period

Organization: Emergent Campus

About Emergent Campus

Emergent Campus is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening rural communities by

connecting education, industry, and community. Through workforce development, employer

engagement, entrepreneurship support, and technology-focused programming, Emergent

Campus works to create meaningful career pathways and expand economic opportunity

throughout Southern Colorado.

Position Overview

Emergent Campus is seeking a Regional Workforce Development Specialist to support and

expand workforce development and economic mobility efforts across Southern Colorado.

This is a part-time, 1099 independent contractor position with an anticipated commitment

of approximately 20 hours per week. The position is grant-funded, with funding currently

secured for an anticipated two-year period. Continued engagement is contingent upon grant

funding, program needs, satisfactory performance, and the terms of the independent contractor

agreement.

The Regional Workforce Development Specialist will work with job seekers, employers,

entrepreneurs, educational institutions, workforce partners, and community organizations to

strengthen regional career pathways and connect Southern Colorado residents with high-quality

employment and economic opportunities.

The ideal contractor is relationship-driven, highly organized, comfortable working independently,

and passionate about strengthening rural communities.

Scope of Work

• Provide individualized career coaching and workforce navigation to job seekers across
• Help individuals identify career pathways aligned with their skills, experience, interests, and regional employment opportunities.
• Support job seekers with resumes, interview preparation, professional development, job searches, and employer connections.
• Connect participants with relevant education, training, credentialing, and workforce resources.
• Support participants throughout the employment placement process.

Employer & Regional Partner Engagement

• Build and maintain relationships with regional employers to understand hiring needs, workforce challenges, and available career opportunities.
• Identify employment opportunities and facilitate connections between employers and qualified candidates.
• Collaborate with educational institutions, workforce organizations, economic development partners, nonprofits, and other community organizations.
• Participate in relevant workforce events, employer meetings, career fairs, networking opportunities, and regional initiatives.
• Strengthen coordination among employers, education providers, workforce organizations, and job seekers.

Entrepreneurship & Small Business Support

• Provide coaching, navigation, and resource connections to entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses.
• Connect entrepreneurs with mentorship, business resources, funding opportunities, professional networks, and regional support organizations.
• Support startup incubation activities and connections to Emergent Campus programming.
• Help strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem and increase access to resources within

Program Outcomes & Reporting

business support activities, and other required program outcomes.

• Maintain accurate documentation and data necessary for grant reporting and program evaluation.
• Coordinate with Emergent Campus leadership and program staff to achieve grant deliverables and organizational program goals.
• Provide regular updates on activities, outcomes, opportunities, and challenges.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen or expand workforce programming based on employer and community needs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in workforce development, career coaching, economic development, recruiting, education, human resources, entrepreneurship, community development, or a related field.
• Strong relationship-building, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Experience working with employers, job seekers, entrepreneurs, educational institutions, or community partners.
• Ability to provide individualized coaching and connect individuals with appropriate resources and opportunities.
• Strong organizational and project-management skills with the ability to independently
• Familiarity with Southern Colorado communities, employers, workforce needs, and economic opportunities is strongly preferred.
• Commitment to supporting rural communities and expanding access to meaningful career and economic opportunities.
• Ability to travel throughout Southern Colorado as needed.

Contract Terms & Compensation

This is a part-time independent contractor (1099) engagement, with an anticipated workload

averaging approximately 20 hours per week.

Compensation is $55,000 annually, for a potential total contract value of up to $110,000 over

the anticipated two-year grant period, subject to continued funding, performance, program

needs, and the terms of the contractor agreement.

As an independent contractor, the selected individual will be responsible for applicable federal,

state, and local taxes and will not be eligible for employee benefits through Emergent Campus.

This opportunity is funded through grant resources currently anticipated to support the work for

two years. The contract does not constitute a guarantee of engagement for the entire two-year

period and may be modified or terminated in accordance with the independent contractor

agreement and availability of funding.