2021 Corporate Partner of the Year: Comcast

For much of CWEE’s 40-year history, we have honored individuals and partners for their exceptional contributions to our mission with the Silver Flame award. This year we are pleased to honor Comcast, CWEE’s 2021 Corporate Partner of the Year. 

CWEE depends on the support of the community – including businesses and corporations – to ensure we can support disadvantaged career seekers to succeed as the economy rapidly changes.

One corporate partner that stands out in its commitment to the community and sustained, strong support for nearly 200 Colorado nonprofits, including CWEE, is Comcast.

Over the last three years, Comcast has invested $44.4 million in cash and in-kind contributions to Colorado nonprofits and community organizations. Comcast focuses its support on organizations and programs promoting equal access to technology, and/or digital skills to better position the people they serve for success in work and in life.

“Comcast and CWEE share a commitment to digital equity and connecting the unconnected,” says Chris Weeks, a member of the CWEE Board of Directors and Regional VP of Technical Operations at Comcast.

Noting that a baseline of digital skills is necessary to thrive in today’s workplace, Chris adds: “Workers who lack the digital skills required to create a resume, write an email, or apply for a job online face more barriers to accessing the job market. Comcast and CWEE work together to address digital adoption and workforce readiness to better position low-income career seekers for success.”

As an organization focused on employment in an increasingly virtual world, Comcast has been a strong partner to CWEE: connecting participants to affordable home Internet through the Internet Essentials program, providing laptops, and supporting essential digital skills training.

When the pandemic struck in early 2020, CWEE launched an enormous effort to get each CWEE career seeker set up with a laptop and home internet service – and we turned to our partners for support, including Comcast. Since then, CWEE has distributed 391 laptops to our career seekers and helped many connect to high-speed internet at home.

Even before the COVID-19 crisis, there was a clear and pressing need to prepare the workforce for digitization. Now, with many education and business organizations continuing online programs and services, and trends like automation accelerating, a digitally literate workforce is essential.

Chris Weeks, who started his career at Comcast 26 years ago, finds particular resonance in CWEE’s work to help disadvantaged workers keep up with a rapidly changing economy. He also values that CWEE connects career seekers with quality employment opportunities that offer strong pay and benefits and opportunities to advance.

Chris’ own remarkable career path reflects the experience of advancement that CWEE hopes to facilitate for our participants.

Chris started at Comcast as an installer and has worked his way up, completing his college degree with the company’s tuition reimbursement program, and developing his leadership skills through Comcast’s internal professional development programs. Today, Chris is the Regional VP of Technical Operations, overseeing hundreds of technicians serving tens of thousands of customers.

“At CWEE, the goal is more than just a job. CWEE helps people match their career interests and personal needs to quality employment opportunities that offer a career path,” Chris says. “Advancing education, opportunity and connection – that’s where the work of Comcast and CWEE intersects.”

It takes the entire community to build an equitable employment ecosystem. CWEE is grateful to PCs for People and our other partners for playing such an essential role in building the capacity of disadvantaged workers to compete and succeed as the labor market continues to change. 

If you would like to support CWEE with a financial gift, please click here.

For much of CWEE’s 40-year history, we have honored individuals and partners for their exceptional contributions to our mission with the annual Silver Flame award. Silver Flame winners embrace CWEE’s mission and go above and beyond to support our career seekers and activities.

In 2021, we are pleased to recognize these additional winners: 

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