Sometimes there’s a moment when you are working on an important effort and realize: We can do more. That happened for us as we work to ensure our kids are educated to get great jobs and meet the workforce needs we have in Colorado. The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce is jumping in to pilot a program that improves the educational and employment outcomes for “opportunity youth”—focusing on young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 who are disconnected from school and/or work.
Focusing on this young population not only helps each individual but it also delivers a lifetime of economic impact for each and every person we connect to a career. The program will create a pipeline of skilled workers for the jobs that are in demand today and in the future.
The Chamber has hired Lorena Marquez Zimmer as director of talent pipeline. Lorena will serve as a liaison between business and those serving opportunity youth through the Denver Opportunity Youth Initiative. The Chamber has received grants from Rose Community Foundation, the Aspen Institute, Daniels Fund, Donnell-Kay Foundation and the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation of Colorado to support this work. In addition, we are one of four chambers selected by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to develop a program to reduce youth unemployment.
Zimmer has worked for nearly 20 years in public health, most recently as a project manager for the Spark Policy Institute, including serving as project lead on the Denver Opportunity Youth Initiative.
The Chamber is also working with more than 20 community partners, including the Center for Work Education and Employment, Colorado Youth for a Change, Community College of Denver, Court Appointed Special Advocates, Denver Public Schools (Emily Griffith GED+, Summit and P.U.S.H. Academy), Emily Griffith Technical College, Goodwill Industries of Denver, Mile High United Way, Mile High Youth Corps, the state of Colorado, WorkLife Partnership and Zero Dropouts.
Our goal is to connect every Coloradan who wants to work to a great job and to provide every employer access to the best workforce. To accomplish that goal we all have to roll up our sleeves and work together to ensure that our youth are prepared to enter the workforce—and that they’ll have great jobs waiting for them. Consider that in just five short years 74 percent of our workforce will need post-secondary education. Today, only 18 percent of on-time high school grads will go straight to college, earn a credential and immediately enter the workforce. To create the economic future we all envision, we need to close that workforce gap.
And, what you all know is that when we do something, we are serious about it and we do it together. So, stand-by. Whether you work in the public, private or nonprofit sector, you can help ensure we connect our great workers to our great employers—and we will be asking you to do just that.
Kelly Brough is president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.