Colorado’s Forgotten Middle-Skill Jobs

1. Colorado’s Forgotten Middle-Skill Jobs

2. Core Advisors • Michael Gifford, Associated General Contractors of Colorado • Rich Jones and Frank Waterous, Ph.D., The Bell Policy Center • Ledy Garcia-Eckstein, City of Denver, Office of Economic Development, Workforce Development • Tracey Stewart, Colorado Center on Law and Policy • Geri Anderson, Ph.D., Colorado Community College System • Margaret Kirkpatrick, Colorado Department of Education, Adult Education and Family Literacy • Stephanie Steffens, Colorado Workforce Development Council • Katrina Wert, Community College of Denver, WIN Initiative • Blake Pendergrass and Desiree Westlund, FRESC • Chris Stoneman, iCAST (International Center for Appropriate & Sustainable Technology) • Spenser Villwock, Independent Electrical Contractors, Rocky Mountain • Mary Russell, Jefferson County Department of Human Services • Eric Seleznow, National Skills Coalition • Elsa Holguin, Rose Community Foundation • Paula Gomez Farrell, Ph.D., SkillBuild Colorado • Kathy Pitts, SkillBuild Colorado • Karla Nugent, Weifield Group and the Constructor's and Designer's Alliance • Peace Bransberger, Workforce Development Strategist

3. Defining Middle-Skill Jobs A job that requires training and/or education beyond high school, but not a four-year degree. • Who provides middle-skill training? • Employers • Community colleges, • Apprenticeship programs, • Nonprofit community-based training organizations, • Private career schools.

4. Colorado’s Middle-Skill Gap, Today and Tomorrow Colorado Jobs by Skill Level, 2009 Demand for Middle-Skill Jobs is Strong, Will Remain Strong in Colorado High 33% Middle 47% Low 20% Source: Calculated by National Skills Coalition from the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

5. Demand for Middle-Skill Jobs is Strong, Will Remain Strong in Colorado Colorado’s Total Job Openings by Skill Level, 2009–2019 Source: Calculated by National Skills Coalition from the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

6. Source: Calculated by National Skills Coalition from the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

7. Colorado Educational Projections: A Growing Middle-Skill Challenge Percentage Change in High-Skill Colorado Workers, 1995–2025 Percentage Change in Middle-Skill Colorado Workers, 1995–2025 Percentage Change in Low-Skill Colorado Workers, 1995–2025 Source: Calculated by National Skills Coalition from the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

8. Colorado’s Workforce of Tomorrow is in the Workforce Today Working Colorado Adults Age 20-64 in the Current and Projected Population, 2010-2025 Source: Calculated by National Skills Coalition from the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

9. Key Policy Recommendations To grow the skilled workforce for Colorado’s economic recovery we urge state policy makers to adopt the following strategies to improve efforts to train adults for middle-skill jobs that will continue to grow as the economy recovers. • Credential Attainment • Career Pathways • Adult Basic Education • Sector and Cluster Strategies

10. Recommendations • Set a goal to increase Colorado Resident credential attainment by 20% by 2014 • Establish a framework for tracking statewide credential attainment that results from the investment of public resources • Analyze the relationship of credential attainment to industry demand for skilled workers • Charge an existing body or establish a new senior level cross agency policy committee to collect, analyze and report information annually CREDENTIAL ATTAINMENT Create A Visionary Goal For Credential Attainment

11. Recommendations • Coordinate multiple departments and initiatives to focus on career pathways programs for educating and training the workforce. • Realign resources to provide greater support services for low-income working adults seeking postsecondary credentials. • Coordinate tuition-assistance programs across the for state adult workers seeking training in occupations with clear career pathways and in high-demand industries. • Require and support at least one bridge program in each County to move low-skill adults into advanced training opportunities. CAREER PATHWAYS Support Career Pathways That Provide Education And Training For All Workers

12. ADULT BASIC EDUCATION • Recommendations • Colorado is currently ranked 50th in the country for funding Adult Basic Education • Adopt a goal to increase the number of people served in adult basic education programs by 50 percent by 2013.  • Adopt common goals and strategies for adult basic education programs to move students quickly and successfully toward post-secondary certificate and degree completion. • Encourage the development and adoption of innovative programs from other states such as Washington and Minnesota, that help adults • Achieve critical skills • Bridge to post-secondary education and training • Ensure post-secondary completion and career success Refocus And Fund Adult Basic Education

13. SECTOR CLUSTERS STRATEGIES Implement Industry Focused Strategies for Workforce Development • Recommendations • Creation and sustain postsecondary academic, technical, vocational and apprenticeship programs that create a demand driven skilled workforce • Coordinate engagement of industry • Collectively engage economic development entities

14. Business Leaders Karla Nugent Constructor’s and Designers Alliance David C. Scott HR Manager Encore Electric, Inc.

15. CONTACT Paula Gomez Farrell, Ph.D. Director SkillBuild Colorado 600 S. Cherry Street Ste. 1200 Denver, Colorado 80246 303 398-7407 office 303 829-2252 mobile Paula.GomezFarrell@skillbuildcolorado.org