The Power of Paid Training: Inside Cortney’s Apprenticeship Journey

In 2023, Cortney was homeless, living in her car with her three children in Denver, Colorado, and struggling with addiction. Soon, her circumstances brought her face to face with the criminal justice system and the very real possibility of losing her family. It was all the motivation she needed to get her life back on track.

“I decided to get off the street and put myself into sober living,” said Cortney.

By 2024, she was sober, living in temporary housing, enrolled in parenting and relapse prevention classes, and focused on reuniting with her children. The only obstacle was finding steady employment.

“I had to find a job, but I wasn’t having any success,” said Cortney.

“And I had to make money so I could show the court that I could get my own place and be stable enough to get my kids back.”

Cortney was referred to the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), where she enrolled in their reentry program and was placed in a transitional job on a road crew beautifying local highways. It was her first step toward finding permanent job placements.

“My first day out on crew was August 1, 2024, and I worked hard enough and saved up enough money that I was in my own apartment by September 1,” said Cortney.

Her work ethic also earned her the attention of her senior site supervisor, who recommended her for CEOs Emerging Leaders Program (ELP), a 12-week paid internship in which participants receive job training and mentorship in order to build marketable and high-demand skills.

After being selected over a pool of candidates, Cortney began vocational training through CEO, where she learned the inner workings of the Denver office, from drafting professional emails and maintaining case records to entering service data and understanding P2E instruction and job coaching.

“ELP is about understanding the principles of CEO, the basics of how the office runs, and how basic interactions are handled with the participants,” said Cortney.

Thanks to her success in the ELP, Cortney could maintain stable housing and get her children back in time for Christmas in 2024.

Soon after, her supervisors again recognized her growth and professionalism, and she was hired for CEO’s newly founded and state-recognized Emerging Leaders Apprenticeship Program (ELAP), an initiative designed to provide deeper engagement in workforce development through specified training and certifications.

“The program helped me to build my confidence, to know that my lived experience was respected and valued as something that could benefit others, and to step out of my comfort zone and push myself to achieve more,” said Cortney.

As part of the apprenticeship, CEO covered the cost of her certified training at the Customer Service Institute of America to become a customer experience professional. They also support her continued education and desire to become an accredited reentry specialist.

Once she has her reentry certification, Cortney hopes to pursue a career in non-profit justice reform work, ideally with CEO either as a reentry specialist or member of their advocacy team in Denver.

“I want to use my lived experience to be able to support those ready to change their lives around, just like I did, and I want to help reduce the recidivism rate in Colorado,” said Cortney.

Through her drive and commitment, Cortney is steadily advancing toward her goal, using every opportunity at CEO as a stepping stone toward long-term success.

“I never once in a million years thought that when I stepped foot in the door to litter abatement on the side of the road that I would be where I am today,” said Cortney.

“But being in the position I'm in now, and in this apprenticeship, I feel like I will be able to empower people and show them that the choices we’ve made in the past don’t define who we are today.”

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