Colorado State Capitol
Since 2005, Colorado’s workforce regions and their partners, championed by the Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC) and Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE), have used the sector partnership approach to better meet the workforce needs of Colorado’s key industries.
From 2007-2009, Colorado was a member of a National Governors Association Policy Academy and learning network focused on sector strategies, and Colorado quickly became a leader for using workforce investment funding to train local areas and incent the development of sector partnerships.
Additional milestones can be found on this timeline of Colorado sector partnerships since 2005, which also includes lessons learned.
Colorado’s sector partnership model has evolved from the traditional sector partnership approach that focuses solely on workforce issues. We found that in order to have truly meaningful and sustainable sector partnerships, they could not just be a “workforce thing.”
Colorado’s next generation of sector partnerships launched in January 2013 at the statewide Sectors Summit and continues to focus on education, workforce, and economic development initiatives being equally engaged partners with industry. All partners bring with them the goal of using sector partnerships to meet industry’s workforce needs, long-term education pipeline goals, and larger economic development needs. This is why it is very important that industry lead the partnerships.
Today, Colorado receives national attention for our successful sector partnership model—many states are looking to Colorado! Thanks to all the great work YOU are doing across the state.
To continue that work in 2014, the Sectors Summit II’s theme will be “Growing the Talent Pipeline.” We’re focused on preparing Coloradans for the jobs of today and tomorrow. We hope to see you there! Click here to register.