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ARVADA, Colorado – The Greater Arvada Chamber of Commerce hosted the Denver Regional Talent Summit in partnership with the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. The Colorado Chamber of Commerce assisted in the coordination of industry group participation.
The summit focused on addressing workforce challenges in key industries, including aerospace & defense, advanced manufacturing, and renewables & clean energy. The initiative is part of the Regional Talent Summits Act, established through House Bill 24-1365, which aims to address workforce shortages by bringing together state and regional stakeholders to discuss economic and workforce needs. These stakeholders include members of the business community, government entities and higher education leaders. The Colorado Chamber and its partners in the Education to Employment Alliance played a key role in the bipartisan legislation to bolster the state’s talent pipeline and elevate Colorado’s workforce.
“These summits will improve workforce outcomes statewide, connecting the right people from the business community, educational institutions and government to identify the curriculum and skills needed to fulfill job opportunities across the state,” said Colorado Chamber President and CEO Loren Furman. “This is a key component of the Chamber’s strategic priority to meet the workforce needs of our growing economy and marks a pivotal step in Colorado’s ongoing workforce development efforts.”
“Colorado is the best place to live and start a business. As a state, we continue investing in talent development initiatives so all Coloradans can access good-paying jobs and employers can find the skilled workers needed to grow and thrive,” said Gov. Jared Polis in a press release.
“The Regional Talent Summits are a critical step in addressing workforce gaps and shortages and ensuring our businesses have the talent they need to thrive,” said Kami Welch, IOM, president and CEO of the Greater Arvada Chamber of Commerce. “By bringing together industry leaders, educators and workforce partners, we are able to design strategies that develop career pathways in key industries. These summits are more than just discussions—they are the foundation for actionable workforce solutions that will strengthen our regional economy for years to come.”
Leaders from manufacturing, aerospace and clean-energy sectors, as well as officials from school systems and worker-training organizations, heard from Gov. Jared Polis and state economic-development officials, studied results of surveys on existing gaps and then broke into industry sectors to propose two- and five-year plans. Ideas that were generated varied from broad to specific, but all encompassed the idea that participating industry representatives would be willing to continue working to carve out new career pathways and programs that would help learners prepare to work in their fields.
The summit is one of seven scheduled across Colorado through June 2025. These industry-led discussions will generate tactical workforce plans that develop career pathways in specified fields facing regional workforce challenges. Insights gathered from these discussions will be included in the 2025 Colorado Talent Pipeline Report, shaping future workforce development strategies across the state.
Learn more about the Opportunity Now Regional Talent Summits here: https://oedit.colorado.gov/programs-and-funding/conferences/workshops/opportunity-now-regional-talent-summits
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