DENVER (KDVR) — Gov. Jared Polis, along with Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, announced measures to help staff pools this summer in our state.

Gov. Polis addressed the delayed opening of swimming pools due to staffing issues.

The administration is creating a grant program between the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and the Office of Economic Development and Internation Trade’s Outdoor Recreation Industry Office to make it happen. A combined $350,000 between the two entities will fund the program.

Local cities, counties and special districts that operate indoor and or outdoor public swimming pools will be eligible, for those who are experiencing low workforce recruitment and retention.

DOLA will handle applications for the grant program, review and make grant rewards for those that are eligible.

Grants would be a maximum of $25,000 for the local government. The money can go towards retention, recruitment, training, overtime wages and retention bonuses.

Governments can apply for the grant starting Tuesday, June 21 until Tuesday, June 28 at midnight. The first grants will be awarded on July 1.

The labor department is also offering a grant program that will pay a $1,000 stipend to anyone who gets certified training, including CPR and gets employed as a lifeguard.

The City of Aurora recently started an incentivized training program to help curb the lifeguard shortage. Employees who are hired will be trained after they are hired.

“In the past, we would have to go through all the training and everything before actually getting hired. We’re now hiring kids before that and then training them after which gives them an opportunity to not only have free training but they actually get paid to train and become certified as lifeguards for us,” a spokesperson for the City of Aurora said.

A City of Aurora recreation center lifeguard application can be found here.

Watch the full news conference on FOX31 NOW.