BOULDER TOGETHER TACKLING THE CHALLENGES OF TODAY FOR A BRIGHTER, BOULDER FUTURE
SECURING BOULDER’S ACCESS TO TALENT BOULDER TOGETHER is a strategic multi-year initiative of the Boulder Chamber designed to address three areas of economic and community need:
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
WORKFORCE
HOUSING
WORKFORCE
MOBILITY
Our local business leaders have pledged their support and investment in collaboration with community partners to achieve the goals in each of these strategic focus areas. Join us today and be part of a brighter, Boulder future!
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A MESSAGE FROM OUR LEADERS If you’re reading this, you share the great pleasure of calling the City of Boulder your place of business and perhaps your home. Through the work of leaders like you, we’ve achieved sustained economic success across multiple, diverse industries and sectors. This same success creates a thriving community that enjoys unparalleled education, recreational opportunities and cultural assets. Even so, we are not without our challenges. The City of Boulder and the Northwest region face significant obstacles that, left unheeded, will undoubtably result in adverse effects to both our economic vitality and quality of life. Over the last several years, in outreach meetings with many of you and through extensive dialogue and forums with groups throughout our business community, it has become clear that you face common struggles. Most critically, you’ve told us of the challenges securing workforce talent, identifying Boulder’s increasing traffic congestion and high housing costs as key contributing factors. Within those same conversations, you’ve also asked for productive responses to these challenges, providing both immediate relief and sustainable solutions. The Boulder Chamber has been listening, learning and developing effective strategies – now is the time to press forward. BOULDER TOGETHER is our generation’s call to action. It’s the culmination of your input and ideas, resulting in specific initiatives designed to help meet your talent access needs, both in the short and long term. Together, we will: • • •
Implement workforce development programs targeted to the needs of our local businesses; Expand housing options for the full diversity of Boulder’s workforce; and Improve our transportation system and workforce mobility.
Our success depends on local business leaders like you taking these critical steps forward with us. We call on you today for your experience, your engagement and your investment to address the greatest threats to the long-term vitality of our economy and community. Please join us in setting the course for Boulder’s future prosperity. Together, we are stronger. Together, we are leaders. Together, we are Boulder. Sincerely,
John Tayer President & CEO Boulder Chamber
Bruce Borowsky Board Chair Boulder Chamber
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WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT THE CHALLENGE In the past two years, There is a gap between the number of jobs available in Boulder and the workforce available to fill those positions across all industries and skill levels. One of the biggest contributing factors to the overall challenge is the lack of training specific to the needs of local businesses. Trends indicate this gap will only grow in the next few years, especially as workplace environments continue to evolve and more jobs require higher levels of technological literacy and professional competencies.
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123,000
jobs have been posted in Boulder County, with only
20,000 job seekers
There are nearly
500,000
unfilled computer-tech jobs in the United States!
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT GOAL: MEET OUR REGION’S WORKFORCE DEMANDS Drive collaborative community-wide partnerships to define Boulder’s workforce needs and develop the talent pool using workforce training and recruitment strategies to meet the demand for high-quality, qualified talent.
KEY STRATEGIES
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Conduct Boulder talent gap analysis to create baseline metrics for the region, understand the needs of the community. Share results with education, community and business partners to generate awareness of workforce development gaps.
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Collaborate regionally on industry sector partnerships, talent attraction programs and work-based learning initiatives, offering businesses alternative workforce solutions aligned with workforce demand.
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Provide businesses with education and resources for instituting skill-based hiring, internships, apprenticeships and teleworking options. Facilitate a community-wide, online job and internship portal for local business.
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Implement a marketing campaign and provide our businesses with regionally-focused resources to assist in the attraction / retention of talent to fill available Boulder jobs.
BOULDER TOGETHER
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WORKFORCE
HOUSING
THE CHALLENGE The lack of affordable and accessible housing for low, moderate and middle-income households is identified as the most problematic issue among Boulder County employers, business owners and community members. The lack of housing options forces employees to commute long distances and some job seekers to reject or ignore employment opportunities in our community.
The average single family home price in Boulder reached
$1,207,403 in March 2018!
6 months of housing inventory is considered a balanced market Currently, Boulder County has
only 3.4 months of housing inventory!
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WORKFORCE HOUSING GOAL: INCREASE AVAILABILITY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING Engage the business community in practical solutions to double the number of rental housing and home ownership units for the low and middle-income workforce in Boulder County through acquisition and new construction.
KEY STRATEGIES
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Advocate for elimination of regulatory and procedural barriers to affordable and timely development.
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Demonstrate innovative workforce housing opportunities through pilot housing project.
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Educate our community on the negative impacts of workforce housing scarcity.
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Provide regional business leadership on workforce housing policy.
BOULDER TOGETHER
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WORKFORCE
MOBILITY
THE CHALLENGE On average, there are As a result of a transportation network that has failed to meet the needs of regional growth, our roadways experience severe traffic congestion from the 250,000 vehicles – including 50,000 daily work commuters – traveling through Boulder every single day. Aside from the detriment to the environment and the quality of life, continued traffic congestion threatens to make Boulder isolated and inaccessible to our workforce.
50,000+
work commuters traveling through Boulder daily!
Major regional travel corridors into Boulder are graded F for
Level of Service in morning traffic conditions!
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WORKFORCE MOBILITY GOAL: IMPROVE WORKFORCE MOBILITY Drive infrastructure planning, programs and investments that provide efficient and convenient mobility options, including enhanced automobile capacity and transit improvements, for Boulder’s workforce.
KEY STRATEGIES
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Achieve planning and funding decisions for key regional corridors, with a specific focus on transit and automobile capacity improvements for SH 7/East Arapahoe and SH 119/ Diagonal Highway.
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Develop customized transportation solutions for local businesses and their workforce, deploying the most advanced technology tools, to address short term mobility needs.
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Increase government funding and local investment in transportation infrastructure and mobilityrelated initiatives.
BOULDER TOGETHER
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BOULDER TOGETHER LEADERSHIP The Boulder Chamber Board of Directors is unified in its commitment to implement the BOULDER TOGETHER program and joins together in asking for your support to achieve these strategic workforce development, housing and mobility goals.
2018 BOULDER CHAMBER BOARD DIRECTORS
ELEVATIONS CREDIT UNION
GERRY AGNES
KAISER PERMANENTE
LORI CALL
SCOTT HOLTON
• DOYLE ALBEE
• MARIE GAMBON
• KATE HONEA
MAPR.agency
• GEORGE BERG
• MATT GORR
BERG HILL GREENLEAF & RUSCITTI LLP
FIRST WESTERN TRUST BANK
• BRUCE BOROWSKY
• SCOTT GREEN
BOULDER DIGITAL ARTS & TRIPLE THREAT DIGITAL
• PETER BRAUN
THE BRAUN GROUP UBS FINANCIAL SERVICES INC.
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PEOPLE FOR BOULDER BRANDS
• HY HARRIS EKS&H
ELEMENT PROPERTIES
MACERICH/29TH STREET
• STEPHANIE IANNONE
HOUSING HELPERS
• MONICA LANG ZAYO GROUP
• TERESA LOMAX
GATEWAY PARK FUN CENTER, COLDWELL BANKER RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE
BOB MOREHOUSE VERMILION DESIGN AND DIGITAL
• DANA QUERY
BIG RED F RESTAURANT GROUP
• TED ROCKWELL
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO CONTINUING EDUCATION
• BONIFACIO “BONI” SANDOVAL FIRST NATIONAL BANK
SUPPORT FOR BOULDER TOGETHER
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
WORKFORCE
HOUSING WORKFORCE
MOBILITY BOULDER TOGETHER
“Boulder Together will provide a new and dynamic link between University of Colorado students and the employers who need them in our community.” - Frances Draper Vice Chancellor of Strategic Relations, University of Colorado, Boulder
“Boulder Together will apply creative private sector financing and land use tools to meet local and regional workforce housing needs.” - Scott Holton Principal, Element Properties
“Because commerce and quality of life requires an efficient transportation system, we’re counting on Boulder Together to deliver long and short term solutions to our mobility challenges.” - Gerry Agnes CEO, Elevations Credit Union
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BUSINESS LEADERSHIP • COMMUNITY COLLABORATION
BOULDER TOGETHER
303.442.1044 • 2440 Pearl St. Boulder, CO 80302 • boulderchamber.com/bouldertogether