Finalists

We received over 130 applications that represented communities across Colorado, and brought cross-sector partners together in inspiring ways. The partnerships and solutions presented innovative models, from pathways to apprenticeships to career-connected learning, to create opportunities for young Coloradans to access meaningful careers in over 40 high growth industries, ranging from clean energy to cybersecurity to health care. We made difficult decisions among a high-caliber pool of applicants.

The full list of Finalists from which our Winners were selected are:

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Seed Solutions

The Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Highway, led by Metropolitan State University of Denver, is a solution for students from middle school through young adulthood to address the skills gap and manufacturing career misperceptions by attracting these learners and supporting them through post-secondary training to enter the advanced manufacturing workforce.

Closing the Skills Gaps and Accelerating the Education-to-Employment Pipeline Through the Infusion of Work-based Learning Simulations, led by the Foundation for Educational Excellence, dba Colorado Homebuilding Academy delivers VR work-based simulations that increase awareness and quickly train individuals in the needed skills required to obtain credentials in the construction industry.

The Colorado Climate Career Accelerator, led by Julius Education and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory delivers a new bootcamp style offering that provides learners with foundational workforce competencies and a clean tech industry navigation tool aligned to current Colorado clean tech job opportunities.

The EPIC Center Featuring Tiny Homes, led by Colorado River BOCES and Copper Key Tiny Homes, helps students in multiple Western Slope school districts to learn and gain experience with a variety of construction techniques through the hands-on construction of tiny homes.

Grow Our Own: Partnership for Equity in Health Careers, led by Colorado Community Health Network (CCHN), is a solution for high school and young adult learners to build awareness of health careers opportunities and provide an accessible pathway for entry and advancement to meaningful and financially sustainable careers, with a specific focus on Medical Assisting as a first step.

The Linked Education: Providing a Continuum of Experiences in Agricultural Industries and the Food System, led by Colorado State University delivers valuable professional and technical skills to high school, postsecondary, and young adult workforce through flexible training programs, career experiences with agrifood industry partners, and professional development to enhance the agriculture and food systems.

The PCC + Fuel & Iron Apprenticeship Program, led by the Fuel & Iron Food Hall and Pueblo Community College, supports new culinary apprenticeships to develop the food service industry workforce in Pueblo.

Rural Homes: Building Skills for Careers, led by the Telluride Foundation, delivers construction trade skills and certifications to rural youth, filling an immediate need to get new workers into the labor market.

The Trinidad School District, in partnership withGeneration Schools Network and the Colorado Rural Education Collaboratives, has proposed a community Green Space as an employment solution that includes a horticulture education program centered around a greenhouse, community garden, composting, wildlife management, and hydroponics, offering students the opportunity to explore multiple potential career paths and gain CTE certificates and concurrent enrollment credits at Trinidad State Junior College through taking part in real-world experiences in community-relevant industries.

A Youth-Driven Approach to a Sustainable and Just Future for All, led by GRID Alternatives Colorado, delivers the GRID's Solar Installation Basics Training (IBT) Lab Lite for Students Program to provide technical skills development to students who are interested in entering the green energy economy.

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Scale Solutions

Career Education in Rural Colorado Acceleration, led by Fort Lewis College, has proposed a solution for diverse high school and college age students by delivering job embedded apprenticeships to further rural economic development.

The CareerWise Youth Apprenticeship Initiative, led by the Vail Valley Partnership, has proposed a solution to expand workforce development pathways toward careers for youth in Eagle County Schools, grades 8-12.

The Colorado Health Careers Collaborative, led by Arapahoe Community College and the Community College of Denver, brings together some of Colorado’s largest health employers, community colleges, an innovative Colorado based instructional design company, and 7 rural and urban k-12 school districts to co-create equitable health career paths for Colorado youth that feed directly into some of Colorado’s fastest growing health careers.

The Colorado Industry Talent Accelerator for Colorado, led by MSU Denver, has proposed a solution for the workforce starting at age 16 to deliver long-term, sustainable careers across the construction industry.

The Colorado Workforce Pay-It-Forward Fund, led by The Colorado Health Foundation, Delta Dental Foundation and Community First Foundation, has proposed a financing solution for low-income CO workers to access re- and upskilling opportunities using Career Impact Bonds.

Cyber SyncUp, led by Activate Work, has proposed a solution for young adults to prepare for and access careers in cybersecurity, leveraging apprenticeships as a talent development strategy for Colorado employers.

Embracing Our New Reality, led by Boys & Girls Clubs in Colorado and TRANSFR, has proposed a solution for young people from under-resourced communities in rural and suburban areas to deliver immersive career exploration through virtual reality.

Fly with Flockjay, led by Flockjay, has proposed a solution for Colorado's young adults to deliver education-to-workforce training and job placement for careers in tech sales.

GROW (Get Ready for Opportunities at Work) Jeffco, a Scale Applicant, led by the GROW Jeffco partner organizations (Arvada Chamber of Commerce, Jefferson County Business and Workforce Center, Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation, Jeffco Public Schools, Jeffco Schools Foundation, and Red Rocks Community College) has proposed a solution for Jeffco high school students through developing a Career Hub Model coupled with deep business engagement focused on high school student career exploration and skill development and school staff training and development with the intent to expand successful model components to all seventeen high schools in Jeffco within three years.

The Holistic Culinary Training to Employment Pipeline Program, led by Colorado Restaurant Foundation and Work Options, has proposed a solution for Coloradans age 18-24 from underserved communities that delivers meaningful careers through a six-week restaurant job training program.

Modern Youth Apprenticeship, facilitated by CareerWise, has proposed key investments in building employer capacity, improving student readiness for work, and reimagining access to post-secondary benefits, as a means to scale the proven impact of high-quality youth apprenticeship already emerging around the state.

The Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Program, led by Mi Casa Resource Center in partnership with key employers, educational institutions, and system partners, has proposed a solution for in-school and disconnected youth to achieve long-term success by delivering comprehensive workforce trainings, coaching, and opportunities for postsecondary credit in four key industries.

Reimagining College to Close Colorado’s Equity Gaps in Credential and Career Attainment, led by AdvanceEDU, has proposed a solution that harnesses the power of partnerships across higher education, K-12, nonprofits, and employers to create seamless pathways for young Coloradans that are flexible, affordable, deeply-supported, and career-connected.

The RuralTech Workforce Alliance, led by a partnership across K12, Higher Education, and Industry in Fremont County, has proposed a solution for all K12 students to deliver Economic Development for the region, talent for the local tech sector, and work-based learning for local youth.

THE SYNK: Building Ships to STEM the Gap,, led by the Building Ships Executive-Level Advisory Board at STEM School Highlands Ranch, has proposed a solution for mentorships, internships, and collaborative learning adventures that provide real-world solutions for students, industries, communities, and businesses to make sure every student has the kind of "ships" that promote kindness, readiness for future careers, and passion for infinite opportunities to help humanity.

Trained in Colorado, Hired in Colorado: Addressing the Skills Gap with Virtual Work Experience, led by Forage, has proposed a solution for post-secondary students to undertake free, open-access online training courses designed by leading Coloradan employers, empowering thousands of young Coloradans to obtain job-relevant skills towards quality careers.

The vWBL HQ, led by Jobs for the Future, Jackrabbit Learning Experience, the Colorado Rural Workforce Consortium, and the Freemont Economic Development Corporation, has proposed a solution for youth and employers to deliver high quality virtual work-based learning experiences.

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