Vail Valley Partnership (VVP) and CareerWise Colorado have announced the launch of CareerWise, an apprenticeship initiative designed to positively address our community workforce needs.
Colorado’s economy is growing, and our education system is not keeping pace. The reality is that students in Colorado are graduating with a skill gap that is negatively affecting businesses. This means we must rethink education, employing innovative and collaborative solutions. Using the Swiss Apprenticeship System as a model for inspiration, CareerWise is determined to unite businesses and educators to provide a business-led, student-centered program that addresses real-world needs.
Along with CareerWise, our local team including Eagle County Schools Colorado Mountain College, YouthPower 365, Vail Valley Partnership, and numerous business leaders are prepared to guide businesses, work with educators, support students, and oversee the entire process to ensure success. This model and program will help local employers grow new talent for the long-term and at the same time assist students in identifying career pathways and finding rewarding employment here in the valley.
The business case for apprenticeships
Hosting apprenticeships and becoming a training business isn’t about charity, it’s about investing in your future. Companies regularly identify the problem of recruiting skilled job candidates as a major challenge, but Colorado’s youth still stands massively underemployed. This is a threat to our state’s long-term growth. Programs similar to CareerWise apprenticeships result in less turnover and fewer wasted training dollars.
CareerWise benefits
70 percent of Colorado adults are not from the Centennial State. They are highly educated transplants that have come to fill a desperate need for talent among Colorado companies. At the same time, local youth faces high unemployment rates. Countries with similar programs to CareerWise have the lowest youth unemployment rates in the world. With the help of educators and businesses, we can solve Colorado’s workforce issues.
Businesses become centers of learning
Innovation is at home in Colorado. Our state is growing rapidly and is poised to have a great impact on the nation’s economic future. CareerWise is aligning with businesses in the IT, finance, business operations, and advanced manufacturing sectors in order to provide students with robust apprenticeships. Partnering businesses will help students connect theory with practice.
Multiple paths to success
The same pathway through high school and beyond will not work for every student. College may not be the best solution for every student, but an apprenticeship can be. All students can benefit from learning workplace skills as they gain a practical education. An apprenticeship does not close doors – it opens them. When a student successfully completes a CareerWise apprenticeship, they’ll have a variety of options, including continuing to a 4-year school, entering the workforce, or seeking specialized training.
Today, the burden of educating the newest members of Colorado’s workforce falls directly on our schools, and that is something that needs to change – this should be a joint effort. We will be starting with small samples and building towards an option for every student should they choose – resulting in a pipeline of qualified employees for our businesses.
CareerWise’s mission is to create opportunities for youth and businesses across Colorado by developing and supporting an innovative, sustainable youth apprenticeship program. Through this business-led, student-centered model, CareerWise brings together public and private stakeholders to ensure that students have access to the skills and knowledge they need for financial and academic success, and that businesses have access to highly-trained talent. For more information on CareerWise Colorado, please visit http://www.careerwisecolorado.org/
Vail Valley Partnership’s member survey is live and can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VVPSurv17
Chris Romer is president & CEO of Vail Valley Partnership. Learn more at VailValleyPartnership.com