SkillBuild Colorado is a public/private funding collaborative that leverages resources from member organizations to improve the system for meeting the workforce development needs of employers and workers in target industries. The focus is on enhancing the quality of jobs and the capacity of workers by making coordinated investments at the individual, organizational and system level. Strategic investments lead to better jobs, skilled workers, and a business focused workforce development system.

2011 Goals

  1. Supporting the design and implementation of workforce training partnerships to serve at least 180 men and women based on the near term occupational needs of employers.
  2. Continuing our work with the Skills2Compete Advisory committee to complete a Middle Skills Jobs report for Colorado.
  3. Engaging in a process of educating our state, federal and local policy makers about the positive impact that middle skills jobs have our on the economy.
  4. Convening stakeholders to establish a Center for Energy Workforce Development.
  5. Supporting healthcare industry leaders in their efforts to strategically address the need for allied healthcare workers across the region and state.
  6. Organizing employers, industry associations, workforce development professionals, community based organizations and educators in designing and implementing pre-apprenticeship programs for the construction/skilled trades industry.
  7. Facilitating the development of a dynamic learning community that uses and shares best practices in workforce development that include partnerships with employers, funders, government agencies, and Workforce Investment Boards.
  8. Establish a sustainable workforce intermediary that leverages and aligns resources between business, economic development, government, higher education, and community based organizations.

The National Fund for Workforce Solutions is an award-winning national initiative focused on helping low-wage workers obtain good careers while also ensuring that employers have access to workers with the high-quality skills that will enable success in this highly competitive economy. Since 2008, the National Fund has raised nearly $24 million to support its work in 31 communities. Local funders in these communities have contributed an additional $104 million in locally generated resources from 216 different funding sources, including community foundations, United Way affiliates, corporate foundations, workforce investment boards, chambers of commerce and state agencies. Participating communities have created local funding collaboratives that have collectively invested in more than 100 workforce partnerships since 2007. Ten national funders lead the effort: Annie E. Casey Foundation; the California Endowment; Ford Foundation; John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; Chase; Microsoft; The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation; The Hitachi Foundation; the Prudential Foundation; and the Wal-Mart Foundation.