Future-Ready Economy and Workforce

Colorado-Wyoming Engine

The National Science Foundation has awarded the Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine up to $15 million in initial funding over the next two years to drive development and commercialization of cutting-edge climate technology and innovative solutions in climate adaptation and mitigation in the two states. This work is poised to have a profound impact on workforce development and community engagement, and places a strong emphasis on inclusive growth, ensuring that these economic benefits reach across diverse communities. This work is only possible through many strategic partnerships across government and the business community, and include the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, Colorado State University, CU Denver, CU Boulder, the Colorado Community College System, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and University of Northern Colorado.

Northwest Colorado Development Council Collaboration

Another highlight is the Northwest Colorado Development Council (NWCDC), a collaboration between Moffat, Rio Blanco, and Routt Counties, and their seven municipalities, approved the establishment of a 501(c)3 to serve as the legal framework for launching a Rural Development Innovation Center.   

The Development Council, based on the Aspen Institute's Rural Development Hub Model, will serve as a collaborative, one-stop shop to host programs, services, and initiatives in partnership with federal, state, higher education, workforce, and philanthropic partners to support the transition away from a coal-dependent economy. NWCDC will lead discussions in coming months to develop what the structure and program of work will look like and is considering services like business startup assistance, a revolving loan fund, and a business incubator space and tools.

Due to the collaboration of the council and support from a DOLA Rural Economic Development Initiative grant, the NWCDC has developed a robust project pipeline that now includes 14 business and community development projects. These are expected to generate an estimated 482 direct jobs and $1.84 billion in capital investment.

The Northwest Development Council formed as a part of the CRO Roadmap program and the formation of the development center is tied to NWCDC’s Roadmap.

• Colorado continues to make progress on the Digital Equity Plan, having completed the first phase of this effort through the allocation of $12M (of $20M total) toward digital inclusion coalitions and regional access partners who will support the implementation of this plan at the local level. 
• Following last year’s Executive Order concerning apprenticeships for the State Workforce by Governor Polis, Colorado’s Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) continued to make progress standing up a state apprenticeship agency. 
• “Career and Technical Education and Apprenticeships” (SB24-104), provided staffing to the Office of Future Work (OFW) and to the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Division of the Colorado Community College System in order to align CTE programs and Registered Apprenticeship Programs. This will increase access to technical training and jobs for rural communities.
• “Financial Incentives Expand Apprenticeship Programs” (HB24-1439), created a tax credit for employers who hire apprentices in occupations outside of the building and construction trades, continued investment in the Scale Up Grant program, and established a new grant program for Qualified Apprenticeship Intermediaries. 
  “Modernize Energy Distribution Systems” (SB24-218), directed the Office of the Future of Work to establish a grant program for lineworker registered apprenticeship programs to increase their capacity, which was launched in November.
• The Regional Talent Summits Act was enacted by “Opportunity Now Grants and Tax Credit” (HB24-1365), which aims to address workforce shortages by convening state and regional stakeholders to discuss economic and workforce needs, and the programs and resources that might address those regional needs. These convenings will ultimately result in two and five year tactical plans that develop career pathways in specified fields facing regional workforce challenges.
• The Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded Elevate Quantum, a consortium of private and public sector organizations (including OEDIT), academic institutions, and nonprofits across Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming, with $40.5M as a designated quantum Tech Hub, unlocking $84 million in State support and $1B in private capital. EDA’s investment will supercharge Elevate Quantum’s mission, creating 10,000+ new quantum jobs by 2030. Similar to the NSF CO-WY Engines, Elevate Quantum has a number of strategic partnerships across government, business and education, including partners in Wyoming and New Mexico.

• The Office of Just Transition (OJT) continues to be proactive in the implementation of the Colorado Just Transition Action Plan, engaging with communities and workers impacted by the coal economy transition by implementing 7 to 8 pre-closure strategies for workers including tuition funding, financial planning, and more. 
  • Additionally, OJT has been in the process of creating Community Navigator positions to better support communities going through oil and gas transitions, with the first being established in the Northwest Region. 
• The OFW in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Climate Preparedness and Disaster Recovery undertook a year-long project through the University of Colorado Masters in Environment Capstone program to develop a methodology and county-by-county understanding of occupational risk exposure to climate hazards with an accompanying inventory of existing best practices to address these risks in the workplace to support proactive workforce adaptation to anticipated climate conditions.

• Following last year’s completion of the CRO-led Roadmaps Program by 16 regional teams, these efforts moved into implementation. This includes the State team providing follow up and additional resources where available and connecting communities to a State network that can support their goals. 
  • Additionally, the Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) held a series of roadshows and visited over half the roadmap teams to discuss priority projects and ongoing funding needs. 
• The CRO is represented in the statewide Community Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) efforts, helping to ensure that resiliency is integrated into this work. A platform is being developed that will host related metrics and data from these efforts. 
• 2024 saw the continuation of the Camp Resilience program, which is a one-day workshop to support communities in regions around the state to integrate resilience into their programs and operations at the local level. In 2024, the North-East and South-East Regions completed the workshop.