DENVER — The co-founder of an app created to help the Spanish-speaking community in Colorado get staff on demand is now setting his sights on helping eligible migrants get jobs.
The Chamba app was created years ago as a way for employers to get employees for a variety of jobs.
"The best example that I can give you is of Lyft. With Lyft you request a ride and a driver arrives to you. In Chamba you request workers and the workers arrive, ready to work," said Diego Montemayor, the co-founder of the app.
Months ago, Montemayor says he got the idea to try and sign up eligible migrants for the app, in an effort to help them get jobs as soon as possible.
He says the goal became achievable when the Biden Administration extended and redesignated TPS or temporary protected status for Venezuelan migrants who arrived in the United States before July 31, 2023.
"What that does is it allows them to work immediately," said Jon Ewing, a spokesperson for the Denver Department of Human Services, "We think it helps local businesses, we think it helps the local economy."
Montemayor agreed.
"They are eager, ready and able to work and we're doing that by connecting with them, sharing with them what we can do for them, categorizing them and learning what they can do," Montemayor said.
The initial step was to go to the intake center and shelters to look for those eligible and willing to work. Montemayor said in that initial visit he and the Chamba app team were able to onboard 60 people onto the platform who will be able to work in a variety of positions.
"Bartenders, cooks, line cooks, bussers, dishwashers, and when it comes to construction, we typically see like construction or painting rights maintenance stuff. And when it comes to manufacturing, we see a lot of, you know, just warehouse jobs," he said.
Just like those a part of the app before them, migrants a part of the pilot created a profile on the app and are able to be contracted from there.
