A Quick Summary…
Colorado is experiencing a shortage of more than 30,000 construction workers, with workforce needs in the industry projected to grow as much as 32% by 2030.
In 2022, Colorado Succeeds, in partnership with Associated General Contractors of Colorado (AGC) and other partners, initiated “Project SCALE” (Scaling Construction Access for Learners & Earners) to tackle the talent shortage in Colorado’s construction & skilled trades sector. The multi-year program not only addresses the fragmented educational pathways that are too often a barrier to equal access to career progression in construction, but also targets the information and perception gaps that may prevent learners from entering the field.
Project SCALE addresses the talent shortage in Colorado’s construction & skilled trade sector
This case study highlights the innovative way in which state policy can encourage industry to convene, identify solutions, and harness government resources to solve their challenges, and in doing so, develop streamlined, easily navigable, and paid pathways for learners to enter careers in construction and skilled trades. It also highlights Colorado Succeeds’ ability to put their policy work into practice, scale what works, and fuel larger impact in the field.
While still in its early stages, Project SCALE can be viewed as a blueprint for other Colorado industries looking to engage partners in government and education to develop robust career pathways, overcome labor shortages, and help learners thrive.
What are “stackable pathways”?
A series of shorter-term, modular credentials that individuals can “stack” to progress in their careers. When connected to labor market demand, these credentials serve as a path to economic mobility.
The Problem:
Industry-Led Solutions for a Post-Pandemic Workforce Revival
Recognizing the need for transformative change in the aftermath of the pandemic, state legislators created a governor-appointed task force of business and education leaders to recommend innovative ways to leverage federal relief funds designed to support workforce development. They recommended, and legislators then created, an innovative grant program, Opportunity Now Colorado, to invest state/federal funds that catalyze improvements in the state’s workforce, including developing sustainable and inclusive career pathways.
In total, the program will invest $85 million in industry-driven education and training partnerships that seed promising new approaches or scale existing programs that show proven outcomes. The ultimate goal of this program is to help more Coloradans access jobs that allow them and their families to live comfortably.
Though Colorado Succeeds encouraged many Opportunity Now partnerships, one project emerged as a unique opportunity to connect industry and education leaders together to address some of the root causes of one of our state’s most persistent and acute labor challenges:
The Construction Industry
THE PROBLEM: Skilled Labor Shortage
Colorado’s construction sector faces a significant labor deficit, with over 30,000 positions unfilled. This gap is projected to widen as the industry grows by up to 32% by 2030. This gap is at all levels, not just entry levels where many employees get stuck.
THE SOLUTION: Close the talent gap by ushering 1,600 additional students into the construction pipeline and facilitating 2,600 job or apprenticeship connections.
THE PROBLEM: Fragmented Educational Pathways
The current educational and training routes in the construction field are often disconnected, leaving some workers in this industry in low-wage jobs and too little career mobility.
THE SOLUTION: Develop a transparent, comprehensive construction career pathway, leading to living wages and career mobility for participants.
THE PROBLEM: Information & Perception Gaps
There is a critical need for reliable and comprehensive information directly from the industry about the long-term opportunities to create a career in construction
THE SOLUTION: Integrate the construction career pathway into state-recommended solutions, leveraging resources for long-term sustainability.
Growth anticipated in construction trades in Colorado from 2020-2030 with implemented solutions
Number of skilled construction workers needed to keep up with industry growth
Industry and education partners joining forces to solve Colorado’s construction workforce shortage
What Colorado Succeeds Did About It:
Convening Industry to Direct Public Resources
In May 2022, Colorado Succeeds convened a meeting with more than a hundred employers, education providers, and public partners to deliberate on the state’s critical construction talent shortages. This gathering catalyzed the formation of a steering committee dedicated to bridging these gaps.
Over the subsequent two years, this committee meticulously crafted Project SCALE. Distinguished by its industry-led, data-driven approach, this initiative aims to create sustainable, inclusive, stackable construction pathways benefiting students, job seekers, and employers throughout Colorado.
An Industry-Wide Solution: Project SCALE
Project SCALE is an innovative program designed to develop stackable career pathways in Colorado’s construction industry. Centering industry at the heart of the solution, Project SCALE integrates educational and workforce systems to provide seamless, cumulative credentials that enhance access to high-growth construction careers.
Key Project Goals:
Fill 30,000 construction jobs by 2030
Project SCALE aims to increase learners entering the construction pipeline and match them with high-growth, high-demand jobs.
Blend & Mend Pathways
Project SCALE intends to streamline these pathways by “stacking” credential routes connecting K-12, apprenticeships, and higher education.
Equitable Pathways Promotion
Project SCALE aims to enhance diversity within the industry, focusing on inclusion efforts for underserved communities, women, and non-traditional workers to create equitable entry points.
When I first started in the trades, my main goal was to be an engineer. I wanted to work my way through school and get my j card and then eventually make it to the office. Now that I am in the world of trades, I see all the different parts and pieces, and it feels like the sky’s the limit.
MEGHAN R,. | ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING APPRENTICE, WEIFIELD GROUP
What Happens Next:
Project SCALE represents a bold step toward solving Colorado’s construction industry workforce challenges. It is also a prime example of “systems thinking” in action, addressing complex problems through an integrated, holistic approach and pushing the educational system to recognize credits for prior learning.
This year, Project SCALE committees have been formed across all partners. Business and education leaders, through these committees, are working to track project progress, simplify student transitions from apprenticeships to degrees, map out career pathways in construction and trades, analyze job demand and skills, and ensure alignment with industry needs.
Throughout Project SCALE, we’ll be documenting the process, identifying and sharing learnings that can be replicated in other industries and across other work in Colorado.
Project SCALE will help Colorado meet daunting construction employment demands in the years ahead; construction trades in Colorado are expected to grow between 10 to 32 percent in employment between 2020 and 2030, We are not creating any brand-new educational programs with the Project SCALE initiative; rather, we are connecting all of the various educational tracks together into one program that will fast-track trade education and career opportunities for all.
KARLA NUGENT | CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER & PROJECT SCALE COMMITTEE MEMBER
WEIFIELD GROUP ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING
Industry Partners, Industry Solutions
CORE PROJECT SCALE PARTNERS
TALENT TASK FORCE PARTNERS
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