Narrative: II. c.

1. Describe the strategies the State will implement, including industry or sector partnerships related to in-demand industry sectors and occupations and career pathways,  as required by WIOA section 101(d)(3)(B), (D). “Career pathway” is defined at WIOA section 3(7) and includes registered apprenticeship.  “In-demand industry sector or occupation” is defined at WIOA section 3(23). 

Sector Strategies 

Colorado industry-led sector partnerships continue to be a proven strategy for growing Colorado’s regional economies. Colorado sector partnerships are highly effective when they are operated in a regional labor market, led by business, focused on industry identified priorities, supported by public partners from multiple organizations, organized for long term success, and achieve meaningful and measurable results. Businesses, job seekers, and students thrive exponentially when systems come together to solve challenges facing their communities. 

Colorado sector partnerships are tackling tough challenges in their communities, including early childhood education, K-12 and postsecondary education, workforce development, economic development, transportation, and housing. These challenges are met with a proven methodology of next-generation sector partnerships to not only address the workforce, but also other competitive and community needs. 

With Colorado’s strong sector strategies approach to building and sustaining 30 sector partnerships since 2015, it is no surprise that businesses and public partners continue to engage in building the talent pipeline for future workers. Ten industries in Colorado have recognized that in order for their industry to thrive they must be actively involved in creating a talented workforce that meets their demand for a high-quality workforce. As a result, sector partnerships are experiencing an increase in work-based learning programs and initiatives. 

More than 880 business partners and 360 public partners are involved with sector partnerships by either participating as a convener, industry champion, adviser, or sponsor or by attending a variety of sector partnership events. In 2019 sector partnerships collaborated on industry-led initiatives with businesses, workforce, education, and economic development. 

Building Industry-Driven Career Pathways Systems in Colorado 

The Colorado Model: In Colorado, industry-driven career pathways ensure that education, training, and workforce systems stay deeply attuned and responsive to the needs of the labor market, preparing students and workers with the skills and credentials they need for jobs and careers. 

• What is a career pathway system?  

A career pathway system aligns public partners and engages them in a continuous conversation that is led by industry to ensure that jobseekers and students move seamlessly through and among support programs, educational institutions, training opportunities, and work-based experiences to build skills and credentials that meet industry demand and prepare them for jobs and careers. In Colorado, a sector partnership is the vehicle for building industry-driven career pathway systems, providing a forum for productive and ongoing collaboration with industry and among workforce, education, training partners, and other community partners. In Colorado, the statewide career pathway system aligns career pathway programs and systems developed throughout high demand industries in each economic development region of the state. 

• What’s the difference between a career pathway system and a career pathway program?  

A career pathway program offers a clear sequence of stackable credits and credentials, combined with support services, that enables students and jobseekers to secure industry-relevant skills, certifications, and credentials and advance to higher levels of education and employment in high demand occupations. A career pathway system is made up of multiple career pathway programs that span educational institutions, workforce and support service partners. These programs are all oriented around a shared understanding of the needs of industry. Often times, tools like career pathway maps are used to talk with students and job seekers about how they can progress through education and training experiences to obtain employment that meets his or her goals. Statewide career pathway maps focusing on the top industries in Colorado will be accessed on Careers in Colorado and My Colorado Journey. 

• What is a sector partnership and why do they matter for career pathway systems?  

In Colorado we’ve defined a sector partnership as an industry-specific regional partnership led by business in partnership with public partners in economic development, education, workforce development and community support partners. In Colorado, industry-led sector partnerships are the vehicle for aligning public partners with industries’ needs in an effective, results-driven manner. They provide the “home” for career pathway systems-building, engaging industry leaders and public partners in a continuous dialogue to ensure that education and training systems respond to industry needs. 

Summary: Step-by-Step Guide to Building Regional Career Pathway Systems 

1. Build a regional, industry-led sector partnership  

Sector Partnerships are the vehicle for productive engagement with industry leaders and the starting place for career pathways systems-building. Use the sector partnership specifically, the education, talent or workforce committee as the driver of career pathways systems-building efforts. 

• Goal: Establish strong industry ownership over career pathway development. Beyond asking for one-time input into a program, engage industry as full partners in building 

and contributing to a talent development system that will prepare the workforce they need, now and in the future. 

• Outcome: A core group of committed industry leaders willing to champion the development of a career pathway system for industry. 
• Role of business leaders: Identify and champion talent development as an important priority for the growth and competitiveness of their sector. 
• Role of public partners: Working as a regional team, partners from education, workforce, and economic development collaborate with industry to launch and support an industry-led partnership. 

2. Build out a career pathway support team of non-industry, partners  

Prepare them with the right expectations. Non-industry public partners might include key decision makers in workforce development, secondary education, post-secondary education, human services, vocational rehabilitation, and other community partners. This includes what they will get from employers: real-time information on critical occupations and competencies as well as a willingness to partner in providing work-based learning and other training resources. It also includes a clear explanation of how they’re expected to work together as workforce, education, and training systems to respond to industry demand. 

• Goal: Build buy-in and support among workforce, education, training partners, and other community support partners preparing them to develop a coordinated response to industry’s talent needs. 
• Outcome: A career pathway “support team” made up of workforce, education and training partners, human service, vocational rehabilitation, and other community support partners. This team will act as the joint decision-making body for responding to industry needs and determining how systems and programs should connect to one another at each level of a career pathway to collectively meet the needs of the targeted industry. 
• Role of business leaders: None at this point. 
• Role of public partners: Recruit workforce, education and training partners to participate on the career pathway support team, ensuring participation from key programs that prepare students and workers for in-demand careers in the targeted industry and provide them with the necessary supports to be successful in the career pathway. 

3. Identify critical occupations  

Based on labor market data and qualitative input from employers.  

• Goal: Target a set of occupations that industry leaders agree are critical. 
• Outcome: A list of occupations that industry agrees are critical; new support team members, drawing from education and training programs that relate to the targeted occupations. 
• Role of business leaders: Convene to review labor market data and agree on a set of occupations that are critical to the industry. 
• Role of public partners: Listen to industry-led conversations and consider opportunities to adapt programs to more closely align with industry needs as well as potential linkages across programs. 

4. Inventory relevant education, training, and workforce programs  

That prepare students and workers for those occupations, mapping any existing linkages among those programs. 

• Goal: Identify what programs already exist and start to identify gaps that need to be filled in order to best meet the demands of industry, students, and workers. Build out the career pathway support team with leaders from those programs. 
• Outcome: An inventory of education and training programs that prepare students and job seekers for the critical occupations identified by industry. A support team including relevant workforce, education, training and support programs. 
• Role of business leaders: Vet the program inventory to ensure key partners are included. 
• Role of public partners: Inventory and document all education, training and workforce programs that have a role to play in preparing students and jobseekers for the targeted industry. Take stock of any existing linkages among programs (e.g. articulation agreements or dual enrollment) and begin to identify opportunities for stronger linkages among programs. Recruit new support team members, drawing from those programs. 

5. Understand critical competencies required to perform effectively on the job  

Industry-defined competencies are the specific knowledge, skills and abilities that industry leaders have collectively identified as being critical to performing a specific occupation or group of occupations effectively. Based on these competencies, develop occupational descriptions that both inform employers’ hiring practices as well as education and training partners in modifying curriculum and assessing students. 

• Goal: Get the real story from employers about what is required to perform on the job, identifying both foundational and task-specific competencies. 
• Outcome: Occupational descriptions for each targeted occupation, written to inform employer hiring practices as well as curriculum, program design, and program offerings. 
• Role of business leaders: For each targeted occupation, hiring managers and high performing employees convene to identify competencies. Business leaders also identify ways to contribute work-based learning experiences to pathways. 
• Role of community partners: Partners listen in to sessions with hiring managers and high-performing employees to identify specific opportunities to strengthen existing programs and build stronger linkages across programs to align with industry needs. 

6. Build career pathway programs that prepare students and jobseekers with critical, competencies 

Based on an understanding of what competencies are required to perform effectively and advance in the industry, build career pathway programs that prepare students and jobseekers with those critical competencies. This includes building linkages among programs and institutions, integrating support services into programs, and augmenting classroom training with work-based experiences throughout the pathway. 

• Goal: Develop seamless linkages among programs and institutions that support students and job seekers in building the competencies, credits, credentials they need to secure jobs and careers in the targeted industry. 
• Outcome: Career pathway programs that target high-demand occupations or groups of occupations. 
• Role of business leaders: Advise community support partners on career pathway program development. Contribute work-based learning opportunities. 
• Role of community partners: Build stronger connections across programs and institutions to help students move seamlessly through pathways and ensure that competencies are developed that meet the needs of businesses. Advise students and job seekers on pathways that include training and supports needed to successful in critical occupations. 

7. Share Career Pathway with Students and Jobseekers 
   • Goal: Use career pathway system to equip students and jobseekers with the relevant critical skills for high demand jobs. Use assessments and career pathway maps to help students and job seekers identify industries of interest and map out a path that includes the relevant training and work experience to be successful in their chosen career. 
   • Outcomes: Training, support and guidance for students and job seekers that aligns with the needs of industry. 
   • Role of business leaders: Hire students and job seekers for critical occupations. Provide public partners feedback about incoming skills and preparation of new employees. 
   • Role of public partners: Implement career pathways and help students and job seekers effectively navigate career pathways, incorporating support as needed. Collect and apply feedback from business, students, job seekers to refine programs and ensure they maintain alignment with the needs of industry and are relevant and accessible for students. 
8. Create a system for continuous improvement  

Use the sector partnership as the place to continuously develop and update your career pathways system. This includes ongoing conversations with employers to identify and understand high-priority workforce needs as they evolve, and continued collaboration among public partners to develop and update a systems approach in response. 

• Goal: Keep career pathways updated and relevant, ensuring education and training systems stay attuned and respond to the changing needs of the labor market. 
• Outcome: Career Pathways Action Plan, with employer champions and support partners committed to specific actions that align education and training with industry needs and support students in building skills and earning credentials with labor market value. 
• Role of business leaders: Provide on-going feedback to ensure career pathways programs are aligned with the current needs of industry. Continue to contribute to career pathway programs through work-based learning. 
• Role of public partners: Update career pathway programs to maintain relevance and alignment with industry needs. Continue dialog with other public partners to continue building and refining career pathway programs to ensure that they are responsive to the needs of industry and relevant and accessible to students and jobseekers. 

Appendix: Defining Terms 

Career Pathway System - A career pathway system engages education and training providers in a continuous conversation with one another and with industry to ensure that students move seamlessly through and among educational institutions and work-based experiences to build skills and credentials that meet industry demand and prepare them for jobs and careers. 

Career Pathway Program - A career pathway program is a set of stackable credits and credentials, combined with support services, that enables students to secure industry-relevant skills, certifications, and credentials and advance to higher levels of education and employment. 

Career Pathway Map - An online or paper map of how occupations connect to one another and what education and training is needed to prepare students or jobseekers for occupations. 

Sector Partnership - An industry-specific regional partnership led by industry in partnership with public partners. 

Public Partners - A regional group of non-industry partners engaged in a sector partnership who work together to develop a coordinated response to the needs of industry. Partners include decision makers in workforce development, secondary education, post-secondary education, human services, vocational rehabilitation, and other community partners. 

Industry-defined competencies - The specific knowledge, skills and abilities that industry leaders have collectively identified as being critical to performing a specific occupation or group of occupations effectively. These competencies are both foundational and task specific. 

Work-based Learning 

A critical component of career pathway programs is work-based learning. Embedding workbased learning opportunities into the context of a guided program that comes with supportive services and yields stackable credentials creates the best outcomes for job seekers. This component is critical enough that it requires a specialized focus in this state plan. Colorado’s labor market is evolving faster than ever, demanding a labor force with a flexible and continuous approach to developing and upgrading skills. Addressing the evolving needs of businesses and ensuring Coloradans have pathways to the middle class requires: 

• Ongoing learning and skill development opportunities for individuals 
• Building and leveraging cross-sector public-private partnerships 
• Support for the education and training system in the development of stackable credentials aligned with the demands of industry 

We know that one of the most effective ways to prepare individuals for jobs is to give them real world experience. Work-based learning is a strategy that combines skill development with real world training opportunities. Apprenticeships and other work-based learning activities create opportunities for youth and adults to develop the skills needed to succeed. 

Colorado has designed a Work-based Learning Continuum that illustrates the variety of work-based learning activities that can be pursued, as well as the dynamics of which activities are housed primarily within educational entities, which are located on a job site. As practitioners have begun utilizing this tool, it has brought clarity about the roles of different stakeholders and enhanced communication between the partners. 

The number of initiatives focused on accelerating the creation of work-based learning opportunities continues to grow. To highlight a few of the key initiatives underway in Colorado: 

•  
• On June 23, 2021, Governor Polis signed HB21-1007: State Apprenticeship Agency into law, codifying the state's commitment to increase access to earn-and-learn programs that lead to high quality jobs and to build the talent pipeline that industry needs. In August 2021, CDLE announced the Office of the Future of Work (OFOW) will lead the implementation of HB21-1007 and the apprenticeship expansion efforts currently funded through CDLE’s federal discretionary apprenticeship expansion grants. The OFOW also administers the CO Apprenticeship Resource Directory established by SB 19-171 and the Apprenticeship K12 Contact Directory established in SB20-081. These resources provide job seekers, workforce staff, employers, RAP sponsors, and other stakeholders with timely and accurate information about apprenticeship programs in their areas.  
• Registered apprenticeship programs (RAPs) through the National Registered Apprenticeship System, are working to expand the types of occupations and the number of opportunities in high demand fields. USDOL has recognized Colorado’s leadership in RA growth by awarding the State Apprenticeship Expansion (SAE) continuation grant ($1,089,989) in June 2018, the Apprenticeship State Expansion (ASE) grant ($1,356,234.35) in July 2019, the State Apprenticeship Expansion 2020 (SAE2020) grant ($450,000), and the State Apprenticeship Expansion, Equity, and Innovation (SAEEI) grant in July 2021 ($10,000,000) . Through the department’s expansion efforts, the apprenticeship grants have significantly increased the number and industry diversification of RAPs. Expansion grants have placed over 1,782 participants in registered apprenticeship programs, pre-apprenticeships, and youth apprenticeship programs. 
• Youth registered apprenticeship (YRAP) and quality pre-apprenticeship programs for high school youth continue to expand. Two national apprenticeship intermediaries, CareerWise and the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation, were awarded federal Youth Apprenticeship Readiness Grants (YARG) in 2020. These entities collaborate with the CO Department of Labor and Employment and the state’s Apprenticeship Hub to align resources and identify local employers interested in partnership.
• In 2015, House Bill 15-1230 created the Innovative Industries Internships Workforce Development Program, now known as the Innovative Industries Internship Program, to incentivize employers in growing Colorado industries to increase paid internships and support a consistent and experienced talent pipeline. 
• Denver Opportunity Youth Initiative, supported by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, is aimed at providing education, career opportunities and support systems to opportunity youth by partnering with nonprofit, government, and business organizations to create a pipeline to meaningful work experiences and careers. 

Finally, Colorado has created a definition of a Thriving Work-Based Learning Community. This concept is defined as a community that understands the problems plaguing their talent pipeline, recognizes the value in business-led work-based learning as a solution, and works collaboratively to effect systemic change. Work-based Learning Communities can exist in one of four phases: Exploring, Emerging, Demonstrating, and Thriving. The phase a specific community is in, is based on the activities that are in place across seven domains: Leadership, Needs Analysis, Asset Mapping, Stakeholders, Resources, Communications, and Evaluation. Financial resources are being devoted to local communities seeking to build the infrastructure necessary to make this work happen. 

Two-Generation Approaches 

Career Pathway Programs are also more sustainable and effective for job seekers when a two-generation approach is taken and the entire family is served through programming and relevant resources. Colorado joined an NGA Policy Academy on two-generation strategies in 2017 and has created a state guide that supports the implementation of best practices. Workforce Development Boards are encouraged to consider two-generation approaches within their programs to design partnerships with other agencies and service providers that can seamlessly meet the needs of the whole family. 

Early Childhood Education 

A component of two-generation approaches often involves meeting the childcare needs of children ages 0 - 5. When a parent does not have a trusted, affordable provider of care for their children, they cannot engage effectively in work, education, or training programs. Yet, many communities do not have adequate childcare space available due in part to a lack of access to an effective, consistent childcare workforce in whom families can place their trust, and with whom young children can thrive. The lack of affordable childcare has become an economic issue in 

Colorado, as it is a contributing factor to the supply issue that companies are facing for talent. 

Solutions are best designed by local communities that take into account the unique 

circumstances of an area. Workforce Development Boards are encouraged to partner with Early Childhood Councils and local programs to examine ways they can impact this issue in their community. Colorado’s Early Childhood Workforce 2020 Plan specifically names local boards as potential partners in the efforts to recruit and retain a high quality workforce, and the plan contains strategies that can be pursued in the next three years. 

Employment First 

Career Pathways will fall short of meeting the talent needs in Colorado if they are not available to all potential employees, including individuals with disabilities. Colorado has enhanced its focus on mobilizing the untapped talent of individuals with disabilities by enacting state legislation regarding the concept of Employment First. Employment First is based upon the premise that all people, including people with the most significant disabilities, are capable of full participation in employment and community life. It includes: 

• The prioritization of employment as the first and preferred outcome for all working-age persons with disabilities, regardless of level of disability; 
• A state-level systems change framework, resulting in increased, successful employment outcomes for people with disabilities; 
• The alignment of employment-related policies, service delivery practices, and service funding structures between state agencies; and 
• Promoting employment as defined by Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act language describing Competitive Integrated Employment (employment within businesses typically found in the community with regular compensation, the same opportunities for advancement and interaction with nondisabled coworkers to the same extent as other employees in comparable positions interact, i.e., a fully integrated workplace). 

In 2017, the Employment First Advisory Partnership (EFAP) was convened, representing a multi-disciplinary state team with a focus on implementing the Employment First approach with fidelity through the alignment of policies, coordination of resources, and updating of service delivery models to facilitate increased integrated employment outcomes for people with disabilities, including people with the most significant disabilities. A strategic plan was released by the partnership that includes recommendations for actions that the state and local communities can take to make Employment First a reality throughout Colorado. As state and local plans and programs are developed, these concepts should be taken into consideration in order to design the best workforce system possible that works for all Coloradans. 

2. Describe the strategies the State will use to align the core programs, any Combined State Plan partner programs included in this Plan, required and optional one-stop partner programs, and any other resources available to the State to achieve fully integrated customer services consistent with the strategic vision and goals described above.  Also describe strategies to strengthen workforce development activities in regard to weaknesses identified in section II(a)(2). 

Strategic Priorities for 2020 - 2023 

Priority A: Align state policies and flexible resources to ensure all Coloradans have equitable access to opportunities for quality, life-long education and training connected to the future of work. 

• Strategy A.1. Formulate, test, and scale the braiding and blending of funding across programs
• Strategy A.2. Promote collaboration models to align and streamline the delivery of stimulus dollars, SNAP 50/50, Colorado Works, and other benefits.
• Strategy A.3. Develop and strengthen programming to support targeted populations

  Priority B: Increase the awareness of the TalentFOUND network so more individuals and businesses utilize the available resources to succeed in the wake of the pandemic. 

• Strategy B.1. Educate Coloradans on targeted in-demand career pathways and recovery opportunities through the enhancement of My Colorado Journey.  
• Strategy B.2. Map and promote in-demand industries in a future-ready way with embedded opportunities for work-based learning and apprenticeships in partnership with businesses and employers.   
• Strategy B.3. Tell the story of the public workforce system  

Priority C: Promote career agility for all Coloradans. 

• Strategy C.1. Focus on career attachment strategies with a path to quality jobs and economic prosperity 
• Strategy C.2. Streamline processes to access lifelong upskilling, next-skilling, and reskilling opportunities that do not create undue financial burden
• Strategy C.3. Provide supports to businesses and employers to enhance job quality and implement skills-based practices that support
• Strategy C.4. Enhance the delivery of career advising and navigation through technology and staff-delivered services across all system partners  

Priority D: Strengthen organizational capacity and partnerships to address job quality as well as individual and community-level issues impacting economic mobility.

• Strategy D.1. Better serve all individuals in need of support by strengthening the alignment and information sharing across programs, in person and virtually
• Strategy D.2. Support local boards in engaging businesses and key employers to address community issues including childcare, transportation, and affordable housing
• Strategy D.3. Implement expanded staff training and organizational development plans so that one-stop centers and program partners can adapt when needed to meet the needs of customers
• Strategy D.4. Increase digital equity through supporting expanded broadband access and providing digital skill development