The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade has begun the formal process of organizing the regional talent-development summits program that the Colorado Chamber of Commerce worked hard to establish through House Bill 1365, which passed the Legislature overwhelmingly and was signed into law earlier this year. Chamber leaders pushed for this program, which will bring employer and educational representatives together at the same table to develop career pathways in key industries, after hearing repeatedly from members about the disconnect between the skills they sought in potential workers and the skills they found in Colorado school graduates.
OEDIT is seeking seven hosts for the Regional Talent Summits and will accept applications from Sept. 17 through Oct. 2 from local chambers and other community organizations. The summits will occur between February and June, and we will provide more information as it becomes available to ensure that interested businesses can attend these summits and help to reshape the state’s workforce-development system.