Find veteran employment resources in Colorado. State hiring preferences, career counseling, job training, and transition assistance for Colorado veterans.
If you need work, training, or a better civilian career path in Colorado, start with two places: the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and Colorado Department of Labor Veterans Services. Colorado veterans can use state employment help, priority access at federally funded workforce programs, and disability-based VA career services if a service-connected condition affects work.
If you are separating soon, unemployed, underemployed, or changing careers after an injury, ask first about veteran-focused job counseling, state hiring preference, training options, and whether Veteran Readiness and Employment fits your situation. If you are in crisis, call 988 and press 1.
Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs is the fastest first call for veteran employment help in Colorado.
In a crisis? Call the Veterans Crisis Line at 988, then press 1, or text 838255. Available 24/7.
4 verified employment resources serving Colorado. Crisis and fastest-path options are listed first.
The Colorado Division of Veterans Affairs administers Colorado-specific veteran employment programs and benefits and connects veterans with accredited service officers, state benefits, and local resources.
Career counseling, resume help, skills translation, and job-search tools for Colorado veterans and transitioning service members, including the GI Bill and education-and-career counseling benefits.
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E, Chapter 31) provides career counseling, training, education, and job placement for Colorado veterans with service-connected disabilities and an employment barrier.
Employment and training services for Colorado veterans including job placement and career counseling.
How each program works, who qualifies, and how state and federal help fit together.
Colorado has a large veteran community and a strong employment environment for former service members. The practical help available falls into a few main buckets: state guidance through the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and the Colorado Division of Veterans Affairs, workforce services through Colorado Department of Labor Veterans Services, and federal VA career programs for veterans whose service-connected disabilities affect employment.
These programs do different jobs. State and workforce programs help with job search, referrals, coaching, and connecting you to local resources. VA career programs can go deeper when disability is a barrier, including structured rehabilitation, counseling, training planning, and support through different service tracks. Colorado also provides veterans' preference in state hiring, and veterans receive priority of service in federally funded employment programs.
If you are not sure where you fit, do not wait to figure out every rule on your own. Contact the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs or your local County Veteran Service Officer and say plainly what you need: a job now, help translating military experience, training, state hiring help, or disability-related employment services.
The Colorado Division of Veterans Affairs provides guidance, information, and support to veterans, family members, and survivors across different parts of life, including employment opportunities and educational programs. This is especially useful if you need a starting point and do not yet know whether your best next step is a workforce center, a VA program, education benefits, or another state benefit that could stabilize your finances while you look for work.
The division also works through specially trained service officers and county offices. A County Veteran Service Officer can help you organize records, understand what benefits may be available through your military service, and connect employment questions to other benefits that often affect your ability to work, such as claims support, education options, tax relief, or records requests.
Call the Operations Office at Operations and Veteran Services at 303-914-5832 if you need guidance and do not know where to begin.
Colorado Department of Labor Veterans Services is the workforce side of the system. Existing veteran employment services in Colorado include Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program specialists and Local Veterans' Employment Representatives at career centers. In practice, these staff are there to help veterans connect with jobs and services inside the public workforce system.
Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program specialists are the best fit when you need intensive employment help, especially if you have significant barriers to employment. That may include disability-related barriers, long unemployment, or other serious obstacles that make a standard job search harder. Local Veterans' Employment Representatives focus on improving employment opportunities for veterans through employer-facing work and job development.
Even if you are not sure whether you qualify for intensive services, contact Colorado Department of Labor Veterans Services and ask for the veteran staff at your local career center. Veterans receive priority of service in federally funded employment programs, so make sure you identify yourself as a veteran at the first contact.
Colorado provides veterans' preference in state hiring. That matters most if you are applying for jobs with Colorado state government. Preference is not the same as automatic hiring. You still need to meet the job qualifications and complete the application process, but veteran status can strengthen your standing in the hiring system. If a state job is your target, confirm exactly how preference is applied for the position you want and what documentation the hiring office requires.
Colorado offers in-state tuition for all veterans, and state education information also includes a Tuition Waiver Program, Yellow Ribbon Tuition Program, and Educational Incentives. These are not all the same thing. The key employment point is that Colorado-specific tuition rules can make a career change or certificate program more affordable. If your goal is not just any job, but a better long-term field, ask how your veteran status affects tuition before you enroll.
Colorado has also taken steps to recognize military credentials and training for civilian licensing. If your military background was in healthcare, commercial driving, aviation, or another regulated field, ask for help identifying whether your military training can count toward a civilian credential or license. This can shorten your path to paid work compared with starting from zero.
Veteran Readiness and Employment, often called VR&E or Chapter 31, is the main VA employment program for veterans and service members with service-connected disabilities that limit their ability to work or prevent them from working. This is not just a resume service. It is a structured program designed to help you explore employment options and address education or training needs when disability changes your career path.
VR&E includes several support-and-services tracks, including Reemployment, Rapid Access to Employment, Self-Employment, Long-Term Services, and Independent Living. That means the program can fit different situations:
VA also notes that eligible participants may receive a subsistence allowance, and current rates should be checked directly with VA because they can change.
The Personalized Career Planning and Guidance program offers free educational and career counseling, resume support, and help finding a training program or job. This can be useful if you are deciding among school, certificate training, or direct employment and want a more guided planning process.
If your goal is self-employment, veteran-focused business help is also available through VA career resources and through federal small business support named in Colorado veteran guidance, including Boots to Business, Veterans Business Outreach Centers, and SCORE mentoring. Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses may also benefit from federal contracting preferences.
These programs usually complement each other rather than cancel each other out. A simple way to think about it:
For many veterans, the best path is parallel, not sequential. You can speak with Colorado Department of Labor Veterans Services for immediate job-search help while also exploring VR&E if disability is a barrier. You can work with a County Veteran Service Officer while gathering records for a VA application. You can ask about tuition options while waiting for a VR&E eligibility decision.
What should you apply to first? If you need income and job leads now, contact Colorado Department of Labor Veterans Services first because local workforce help can move faster than a formal federal disability-related program decision. If your work limitations are clearly tied to a service-connected disability, begin VR&E as early as possible as well. The point is not to wait for one doorway to close before opening another.
Benefits can also reinforce each other. For example, state veteran guidance can help you document service and identify education options; Colorado workforce staff can help with placement and employer connections; VR&E can support a disability-informed employment plan. Confirm details of any training plan with the administering program before enrolling so you do not assume a cost or service will be covered when it is not.
Before you call anyone, pull together:
If you do not have your DD 214, Colorado veteran guidance notes that you can request replacement military records through the National Archives using Standard Form 180.
Call the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs at 303-914-5832 and ask to be directed for employment guidance or to your local County Veteran Service Officer. Then contact Colorado Department of Labor Veterans Services or your local career center and ask for the veteran representative or veteran staff.
If disability is affecting employment, also contact VA Careers & Employment Resources for Colorado Veterans through the VA benefits line at 800-827-1000 and ask about VR&E and how to start an application.
The first contact is usually about triage: your service history, barriers to work, goals, and whether you need a job now or a training plan first. Be ready to explain not just what you did in the military, but what kind of civilian work you can realistically do now. If a disability affects lifting, concentration, standing, driving, or scheduling, say that early. That can change which program is the best fit.
Many veterans try to handle a civilian job search alone for months before asking for targeted help. If you have a service-connected disability, long unemployment, or trouble translating military experience, say so at the start. That may determine whether you are routed to more intensive services.
If you need a short certificate, license transfer, or disability-informed career plan, hundreds of applications may not solve the real problem. In Colorado, employment help often works best when paired with tuition, training, or credential review.
Veterans' preference helps, but it does not replace meeting job qualifications or completing the hiring process correctly. For Colorado state jobs and federal jobs, confirm how preference is applied and what proof is required.
If you may be eligible for VR&E or another education-related benefit, check first. The best funding path depends on your disability status, employment goal, and the type of training. Confirm current rules and coverage with the program administrator before you commit.
Missing DD 214s, incomplete resumes, and vague descriptions of military duties are common reasons progress stalls. Fix those first. If you need replacement records, request them promptly.
If unemployment is tied to housing instability, VA career resources also include help for veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. If emotional distress, isolation, or crisis is making work impossible, use immediate crisis support by dialing 988 and press 1, or text 838255. Employment plans work better when safety and stability are handled first.
Colorado also has other veteran supports that can indirectly help you stay afloat while job searching, including property tax exemption information, military retirement income tax credit information, and education-related benefits. Ask your County Veteran Service Officer to look at the whole picture, not just the next job application.
The fastest practical path for most Colorado veterans is simple: identify yourself as a veteran early, use local workforce veteran staff for immediate job-search help, involve the Colorado Division of Veterans Affairs for guidance and records, and add VR&E when a service-connected disability is limiting your work options.
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