Agricultural Workforce Development Program

The Agricultural Workforce Development Program (AWDP) provides financial incentives to farms, ranches, and agricultural businesses to hire interns and provide them with hands-on training needed to begin a career in agriculture. Qualified businesses may be reimbursed for up to 50 percent of the actual cost of hiring an intern, not to exceed $5,000 per internship.

The AWDP is the result of legislation introduced during the 2018 session of the Colorado General Assembly by the Young and Beginning Farmers Interim Study Committee. In its first two years alone, the AWDP has supported 35 internships at 18 different Colorado agricultural businesses.

Business applications are now CLOSED. 

Applicants have been notified of the award status of their applications for 2023. Applications that were not selected in the first round will be considered on a rolling basis, if funds remain.

Informational resources (i.e. Budget Breakdown Sample, Job Description Sample, Regulations, Etc.) can be found below. If you'd like to receive updates, please sign up for the CDA AWDP newsletter. 

Internship opportunities are now OPEN!

Individuals interested in participating in the AWDP as an intern should contact the business hosting the internship first and go through their hiring process. Once an applicant has secured a position with a participating business, they will need to complete this form. If you are interested in an internship opportunity and would like to learn of businesses seeking an intern, please email us at: cda_awd@state.co.us 

Intern applications will be reviewed to determine eligibility, and approval will be contingent on available funding. The agricultural business hosting the internship will be responsible for all communications with the intern.