Colorado Talent Academy
Cleantech Employer Collaborative Northern Colorado Region REGIONAL SNAPSHOT Priority industries from the Opportunity Now Regional Talent Summits: »
Advanced Manufacturing
»
Construction
»
Healthcare
Sector Partnerships: »
Northeast Colorado Manufacturing
»
NoCo Manufacturing
»
Healthcare
»
Hospitality
»
Nonprofit
»
Construction
»
Financial Sector
What is Cleantech? Cleantech includes renewable energy developers, utility companies, battery manufacturers, EV producers, and energy efficiency service providers.
INDUSTRY FOCUS Cleantech This collaborative will strengthen Colorado’s cleantech workforce pipeline, addressing critical shortages in technicians, engineers, project managers, and other advanced energy roles.
Cleantech was selected because: »
It is a fast-growing industry cutting across all three top regional sectors.
»
Jobs in solar, wind, electric vehicles, and storage sectors are growing faster than the workforce can fill them.
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The industry’s growth depends on building a diverse workforce able to sustain long-term innovation in this sector.
THE CHALLENGE The workforce supply is shrinking due to an aging workforce, limited access to training, and a lack of diversity in the field. Without stronger pipelines and alignment, Colorado risks falling behind in deploying clean energy technologies critical to economic growth and climate goals.
LABOR MARKET INSIGHTS
10.1% GROWTH Electric Vehicle Jobs (2022–2023)
5.5% GROWTH
Energy Efficiency Jobs (2022–2023)
35,000+ Advanced Manufacturing Jobs in the Region
55% GROWTH
projected for Manufacturing Maintenance Technicians (2020–2035)
$106M EARNINGS from 500 wind turbine manufacturing jobs
★ NORTH STAR
Build a system where employers, educators, and workforce partners are aligned, so learners move smoothly from awareness to training to careers, and businesses have a steady supply of skilled workers to power Colorado’s clean energy future.
GOALS & ACTIVITIES The collaborative will use the Talent Pipeline Management® framework to bring employers, educators, and workforce partners together to build talent pathways that equip candidates with technical expertise to meet employer needs. JAN 2026
Organize Employer Collaboratives Convene cleantech employers across sectors. JAN 2026
Engage in Demand Planning Validate data with employers and address skills gap.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES 1
MAR 2026
Communicate Competency & Credential Requirements Define standardized hiring requirements and communicate career pathways from lower-level competencies to advanced positions.
2
3 JUN 2026
Analyze Talent Flows Identify current and future sources of talent. AUG 2026
Build Talent Supply Chains Designate preferred training providers. SEP 2026
Continuous Improvement Engage in continuous improvement.
Create strong alignment between training providers and employer needs, with updated curriculum and new credential pathways. Expand apprenticeship and credential pathways, including for underrepresented populations. Reduce time to hire by 26% and increase retention by 17%, thereby reducing hiring and onboarding costs by 43%.
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