Business in Colorado - May 2021
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SUPPORTS GROWING INDUSTRY
2021-06-02 04:01:10
The No. 1 hurdle to industry growth in Colorado’s manufacturing sector is building a skilled workforce. And the issues faced by outdoor-industry manufacturers are no different from obstacles felt by other Centennial State manufacturers.
“Workforce is the biggest challenge,” says Tim Heaton, president of Colorado Advanced Manufacturing Association (CAMA). “… In December 2020, in the midst of the second wave of the pandemic with a lot of people out of work still, there were 8,705 openings/postings that went unfilled.”
Tim Fry, president/CEO of Grand Junction’s Mountain Racing Products and chair of the Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC), agrees: “I look at myself as a manufacturer first and we happen to be in the outdoor space. … In general, with the skills that manufacturers are needing across the state, there’s definitely a lack of the right skills for the right jobs.”
According to Fry, manufacturers in any space— whether it’s the outdoor industry or aerospace—want their prospective workforce to have a certain level of training and experiences before being hired.
“In most cases, you’ll have to supplement that with in=-house training because of the uniqueness of what you’re doing,” he says.
That’s why Colorado programs helping people pivot into manufacturing careers are popping up across the state, in high schools and for those already graduated.
According to Heaton, CAMA helped launch an across-Colorado program called Career-Wise to build an in-state workforce starting in high school. They also support the CWDC’s Innovative Industries Workforce Development Program, which reimburses companies that hire interns. Future CAMA programs will continue to focus on attracting youths and those who are under- and unemployed.
“We’re moving the needle, but nowhere near fast enough,” Heaton says, adding: “On-the-job training is still the fastest way to bring someone into the workforce.”
Corine Waldau, Boulder Chamber’s senior director of economic vitality, also notes the outsized roles school districts can play in developing manufacturing-career pathways. Saint Vrain Valley School District in Boulder County, for instance, offers a career-development center that includes a manufacturing academy tied to Front Range Community College. Other noteworthy skill-building programs include NoCo Manufacturing Partnership and Larimer County’s CareerRise.
“Northern Colorado districts are directly developing programs like these to develop skills necessary for youth to go directly into manufacturing,” she says. “We know these are high-paying jobs that create pathways into high-paying careers.”
— Staff Report
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