It’s no secret that Colorado is facing a real workforce shortage. And with just four years to make up that gap, leaders are looking at a demographic that is underemployed due to basic but solvable education and skills training needs to fill those jobs.
They’re called opportunity youth. Ranging in age from 16 to 24, they are not connected to education or work, and there are nearly 10,000 of these youth in Denver—over 13 percent of all youth that age.
The opportunity lies in connecting these youth with the education, training, jobs and the support they need. Lorena Marquez Zimmer is working to bring businesses on board to offer youth employment and
learning opportunities—from job shadowing and internships—to first jobs and careers.
As the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce’s new talent pipeline director, she’s also heading up the Denver Opportunity Youth Investment Initiative, a collective of business leaders, educators, human services providers and nonprofits all aimed at putting youth on track to improve their education and career outcomes. We sat down with Zimmer to find out more about the work she’s leading at the Chamber.
BUSINESS ALTITUDE: We know what opportunity youth are, but how did they get that moniker?
LORENA MARQUEZ ZIMMER: Nationally they are trying to change the conversation around these youth because for a long time they were called disconnected youth. Changing the language around opportunity youth helps shape a better path for them, whether that is on the employer side or on their side—[it shows] that there are a lot of opportunities for the employers and the youth have a lot of talent
to bring to the table.
BA: Before becoming the talent pipeline director, you worked in the public health sector. What did you take from that experience that you will you bring to this role at the Chamber?
ZIMMER: I was joking around at a U.S. Chamber meeting that this is my third career. I started out in public health with a degree in medical anthropology and then I was a project manager and consultant to foundations, nonprofits and government in the social sector and now I’m here at the Chamber. The connecting piece is equity and figuring out the best ways to reduce hurdles and improve support for individuals in Colorado so everyone can attain their full potential, which lines up with the mission of the Chamber…To put all Coloradans to work in good jobs.
BA: What is the cost if we don’t engage opportunity youth?
ZIMMER: There are longterm costs … There are health care costs. There are a lot of disparities with not finishing a high school degree. If you don’t finish a high school degree, you are more likely to smoke, have a chronic disease, die early. We need to focus on the eventual health care costs, but we must also think about the cost to businesses when they aren’t able to fill open positions. So tapping this population and overall creating a more educated and skilled workforce benefits everyone.
BA: We’re seeing more businesses join this conversation, too. Why should they have a seat at the table?
ZIMMER: We do have a critical mass and we have a perfect storm forming around the types of support that we can create for youth, and if businesses are a part of that we can create the right paths for youths to get them into the jobs that businesses need filled. Businesses can be a part of the movement by working with me to figure out the right job opportunities, the right programs, the right mentorships so that youth are successful and continue to drive our economy in the future.
For more information contact Lorena Marquez Zimmer, talent pipeline director, at (303) 620-8064 or lorena.zimmer@denverchamber.org.
Interview conducted and condensed by Laura James, communications and marketing coordinator for the Denver Chamber of Commerce.
This was originally published in the Winter issue of Business Altitude. Click here to read the full issue.