In a move that could influence workforce development nationwide, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed an executive order this week that sets in motion a comprehensive overhaul of the state’s postsecondary education and workforce systems. The order calls for a more integrated, adaptable education and training framework that responds to the rapidly evolving demands of Colorado’s economy.

“We must continue to close the gaps between academic and occupational education and training,” Polis said in the directive, highlighting the need for education systems that “meet learners where they are and serve them dynamically to meet the workforce demands of Colorado’s growing economy.”

The Big Idea: The order is an ambitious plan to break down silos between agencies and initiatives focused on education and workforce development—and to provide a larger framework for a number of experiments already happening in the state. It is also a marker of a growing belief among governors—from Gavin Newsom in California to Kay Ivey in Alabama—that education and workforce development must happen in tandem.

Colorado has relatively high labor force participation and credential attainment rates. Under Polis, the state has been at the forefront of numerous strategies to better link education with careers, including free in-demand credentials in high-need areas, stackable credential programs and pathways, expanded apprenticeship programs, new work-based learning initiatives, and the nation’s first equivalency framework recognizing different educational modalities.

Challenges remain, however. Colorado has two available jobs for every unemployed person, according to a state task force. More than 90% of well-paying jobs in the state require some form of postsecondary education or training, yet undergraduate enrollment among Colorado residents has declined by 8% since 2010—a concerning trend that threatens future prosperity.

The Details: The new order builds on recommendations from the task force, which envisioned a fundamentally different approach to education and workforce development—one centered on learners rather than institutions. It argued that by age 21, every Coloradan should have access to in-demand industry credentials, relevant college credit, and high-quality work-based learning opportunities at no cost. That goal was adopted by the Colorado Department of Education in its most recent strategic plan and has been the foundation for the state’s new Homegrown Talent Coalition.

“Too often, students, job seekers, and employers looking to reskill are forced to navigate confusing and disconnected pathways from learning to work,” says Joel Vargas, a vice president at Jobs for the Future. “The charges in this executive order set the stage for a more streamlined, learner-friendly system—that also responds to the needs of employers and Colorado’s economy.

“This is the kind of bold leadership we have called for in our ‘Big Blur’ work, and I hope other states are paying attention.”

The order argues that traditional educational structures no longer serve the needs of today’s economy or workers. The current system creates what the task force described as “an immense administrative burden,” with programs “managed, funded, and reported on separately,” creating unnecessary complexity for both educational providers and learners.

In the order, Polis calls for aligned strategies and a common vision among partners; close collaboration among agencies; improved coordination between secondary and postsecondary education; and special attention to young adults ages 18-24, particularly those who are neither in school nor employed.

Those moves are a strong step toward aligning education and workforce systems to deliver better outcomes for learners and employers, says Steve Taylor, policy director and senior fellow on economic mobility at Stand Together Trust. 

“By breaking down silos across state agencies and focusing on talent development as a unified effort, Colorado is setting a national example for how to streamline resources and create a more efficient, demand-driven education-to-work ecosystem,” he says.

The Colorado Departments of Labor and Employment, Higher Education, and Regulatory Agencies will work alongside the Office of Economic Development and International Trade and key staff in the governor’s office will work together to develop a comprehensive implementation plan. The agencies have been tasked with tackling a number of critical objectives:

  • Seamlessly integrating postsecondary education with skills training. 
  • Creating more adaptive talent development strategies. 
  • Improving navigation for all stakeholders.
  • Increasing credential attainment, especially among historically underserved populations.
  • Reducing bureaucratic barriers to cross-functional education and training.

Collaborating agencies must submit a joint report with detailed recommendations, including legislative proposals, by this December.

The emerging strategy in Colorado lines up with the Lumina Foundation’s new goal for 75% of the country’s labor force to have a college degree or other credential that leads to economic prosperity, says Jamie Merisotis, the foundation’s president and CEO and the author of a 2016 book that called for a national “Department of Talent” to address challenges similar to those Colorado is facing.

“At the end of the day, Colorado needs talent—and so does every other state,” Merisotis says, “and the best way to ensure that is to focus on getting more people into and through post-high school learning that gives them credentials of value and ensures their economic prosperity.”