Thousands of Colorado families live in the shadow of prosperity. Low-wage workers struggle to bridge the gap between paycheck and expenses. And if a person falls into the low-wage, survival-job trap, there’s a good chance that they’ll remain there – caught in a back eddy of limited wages and horizons. Locally, our distressed economy has experienced a dramatic job market upheaval as hundreds of primary manufacturing jobs (average salary - $64K/yr) have been eliminated leaving legions of displaced, desperate workers in need of retraining so they can continue to make a living.

The road to economic self-sufficiency runs through education. The Colorado Front Range job market is very competitive. Most jobs with a career potential, a living wage and benefits that result in economic self-sufficiency will require a high school diploma or GED, good communication skills, and a high level of computer software knowledge.

Adhering to the premise that an educated individual and workforce is paramount for self-sufficient families and for economic development, the nonprofit Education Skills Institute (ESI) provides affordable education programs that integrate academic (literacy, ESL, GED courses), job skills training (various business-related computer software and vocational courses), and professional and social soft skills training. Our programs enable unemployed, underemployed and incumbent workers to effectively advance in employment.

It is difficult to become self-sufficient when people face certain debilitating health issues. Numerous health conditions can prevent people from sustaining employment, attending school, staying afloat financially, and leading a normal fulfilling life. In this regard we also deliver crucial health information on issues that largely can be addressed through behavioral and environmental change resulting in a family's enhanced self-reliancy and economic growth.