A coalition of business leaders shaping the future of Colorado’s workforce.

ABOUT

Proud Partners of
the Education to
Employment Alliance

We represent all 64 Colorado counties and thousands of member companies from diverse sectors, geographies, and sizes. Together, our alliance is working to build a talent development system that is learner-centered
and focused on creating pathways to in-demand jobs that employers need and learners want.

THE WHY

Colorado’s education and workforce systems were not designed to meet current needs

Colorado employers can’t find the workers they need. At the end of 2023, economists reported that there were 2 jobs for every unemployed Coloradan, and the skills mismatch means almost 100,000 residents are unemployed despite almost 200,000 job openings. To address Colorado’s challenges, there must be a shared responsibility and active collaboration between business, education providers and government agencies.

OUR PRINCIPLES

Five core principles guide our collective work.

Prioritize learners, not systems, structures, or institutions.

Ensure industry alignment by meaningfully engaging the industry as a co-creator.

Integrate and recognize career-connected learning and in-demand skills.

Leverage and scale innovative non-traditional education and training models to unleash pent-up demand for talent.

Create more transparency of outcomes across the education pipeline and prioritize pathways with strong evidence of impact on critical outcomes.

THE REPORT

Maximizing Human Potential and
Economic Mobility for Coloradans

Executive Summary

Colorado has created a nation-leading economy, attracting headquarters and numerous job expansions. However, Colorado employers have relied on importing talent from elsewhere to meet their needs. With increased competition from other states and a rising cost of living, that pipeline is beginning to dry up, making workforce development a priority for most of the state’s employers. Perhaps more troubling, however, this dynamic means that too much of Colorado’s homegrown talent has missed out on the state’s economic prosperity.

The Alliance believes Colorado must look within to boost homegrown residents’ career pathways, training, and earnings. We are calling for a strong coalition that includes the business community, learning providers, and government entities to work toward the five recommendations in this report. These recommendations address critical challenges identified by the business community. They will position Colorado to produce a reliable stream of workers whose talents match businesses’ needs and help more learners and residents from the Centennial State access sustainable careers that provide economic security.