Advising the Entrepreneurial Learner: Where Do You Send Them?

Presenters: France Hoang, BoodleBox AI; Jon-Michael Horst, Exponential Impact; Colin Lacy, Homegrown Pathways, Coral Laski, Exponential Impact, Zaneta Kelsey, Access Mode, Mark Madic, Startup Colorado

Learn how to connect aspiring entrepreneurs with the programs, resources, and support networks that help turn ideas into viable career pathways.

Apprenticeships That Work: Employer Strategies for Building Stronger Talent Pipelines

Presenters: Dan Hendricks, DJEATC/WCJATC; Libby Klingsmith, The Attainment Network; Kevin Riebau, Emily Griffith Technical College; Bonnie Wright, Haynes Mechanical

Discover practical approaches to improving apprenticeship quality through stronger learner supports, partnerships, and continuous improvement.

Beyond the Pipeline: How TPM Rewires Talent Supply and Demand

Presenters: Janel Highfill, Front Range Community College; Yvonne Myers, Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce

See how Northern Colorado employers are partnering with education and workforce providers to build more responsive talent pipelines.

Building a Future-Ready Colorado for Adult Learners

Presenters: Dr. Ally Garcia, Colorado Department of Education, Georgia Reagan, Lumina Foundation

Explore strategies for helping adult learners build foundational skills, earn credentials of value, and access stronger education-to-career pathways.

Building Bridges to Opportunity: An Overview of Workforce Services and Programming

Presenters: Larisa Romagnoli, Tanya Jo DeBardelaben, Arapahoe / Douglas Works!

Gain a practical overview of successful workforce services, programs, and partnership opportunities.

Building Talent Pipelines: Employer-Driven Internship & Work-Based Learning Strategies

Presenters: Jamie Fisher, Sarah Pompeii, Arapahoe / Douglas Works!

Learn employer-driven strategies for expanding internships and work-based learning opportunities.

Building the Healthcare Workforce: PCC's Medical Coding Apprenticeship Program

Presenter: Ronda Gasperetti, MBA, RHIT, Pueblo Community College

Learn how a medical coding apprenticeship is creating accessible pathways into healthcare careers while helping build a diverse and sustainable talent pipeline.

Calling all Space Cadets: Incorporating Space Content into all Disciplines 

Presenters: Grace Cain-Wright, Amy Nave, Arapahoe Community College

Discover techniques for bringing aerospace concepts into any classroom.

Careers in Construction Colorado: An Authentic Industry Sponsored CTE Pathway

Presenters: Nikki Carter, Widefield School District 3; Glenn Hard, Careers in Construction Colorado; Kolleen Johnson, Pikes Peak BOCES

Learn how Colorado's Careers in Construction model connects students to industry-recognized credentials, authentic work-based learning, and direct employer engagement.

Closing Colorado's Cybersecurity Gap — By Building the Workforce to Defend It

Presenters: Richard MacNamee, MSU Denver, Helen Young Hayes, ActivateWork

Learn how a partnership between higher education and workforce development is creating cybersecurity career pathways while strengthening community resilience.

Cultivating the Next Generation of Dental Professionals

Presenters: Alyssa Collado, The Human Strategy, Daniel Sandoval, Pickens Technical College

Explore innovative approaches to introducing students to careers in dental health professions.

Entry Points: Bringing Learners and Earners into the Quantum Ecosystem

Presenters: Jaden Michael Brewer, Northern Arizona University, CarrieAnn Mathis, Colorado Community College System, Dr. Inès Montaño, Northern Arizona University, Dr. Boaz Nash, Emily Griffith Technical College, Sarah Young, University of Arizona

Explore how educators and industry partners are creating hands-on learning opportunities that help learners and earners access emerging careers in quantum technology.

From Awareness to Access: Building Career-Connected Learning Pathways in Emerging Technology

Presenter: Rachel Johnson, The Washington Institute for STEM, Entrepreneurship & Research (WISER)

Explore practical strategies for helping learners navigate and access careers in quantum and other emerging technology fields.

From Coursework to Workforce: Reimagining Teacher Preparation Through Career-Connected Learning

Presenters: Courtney Anderson, Michelle Pacheco, Community College of Aurora

See how industry experiences are helping prepare future educators to bring career-connected learning and workforce relevance into their classrooms.

From Passage to Implementation: What You Need to Know About Workforce Pell

Presenters: Heather DeLange, Colorado Department of Higher Education, Alison Griffin, Future Rise, Pat Lane, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), Rachel Snyder, Colorado Governors Office

Understand what Workforce Pell means for learners, providers, and employers in Colorado.

From Quantum to Kilowatts: A Cross-Sector Case Study on Colorado’s Teacher Externship Model

Presenters: Samantha Agoos, Colorado Department of Education, Michelle Butler, Megan Christensen, Colorado Energy Office, Sami Mooney, Colorado Workforce Development Council, Kelly Reeser, Colorado Department of Labor & Employment

See how teacher externships are helping educators connect emerging industries to classroom learning through stronger industry and workforce partnerships.

From Training to Mobility: How Durable Skills + Coaching Can Improve Workforce Outcomes

Presenter: Mirna Villa, Upskilling U Consulting & Training LLC

See how durable skills training and coaching can improve retention, advancement, and mobility.

Grow Your Own: Navigating the Teacher Degree Apprenticeship (TDA) Journey

Presenters: Liz Qualman, Colorado Mountain College, Christina Randle, Harrison School District 2, MK Sagaria-Barritt, CareerWise

Hear firsthand perspectives from the partners and apprentices building Colorado's teacher apprenticeship pathway. 

Launching Future Innovators: Connecting Classrooms to STEM Careers Through Mentorship

Presenter: Alex Grab, Space Foundation

Explore a high-impact model for for career-connected STEM learning through mentorship and real-world problem solving. 

Lessons from Talent Pipeline Management: Following employer demand signals to achieve better talent solutions.

Presenter: Brad Revare, Colorado Succeeds

See how employer demand signals are shaping talent strategies in high-growth industries across Colorado.

NASA STEM and Workforce Development: A Shift in Perspective

Presenter: April Lanotte, NASA

Discover how aerospace education can broaden participation in STEM and strengthen career-connected learning opportunities.

Outreach to Employment, By Design: How Commerce City and the Community College of Aurora Aligned Public Dollars Behind One Workforce System

Presenters: Clair Collins, Community College of Aurora, Sarah Mondesire, City of Commerce City, Emily Sanders, Rocky Mountain Partnership Cradle to Career

Discover how local leaders aligned funding, partnerships and workforce services to create a more coordinated system connecting residents to employment.

Pathways to Practice: Cross-Sector Lessons from an Industry-Sponsored Project Pilot in El Paso County

Presenters: Lindsay Pack Moll, InnovaFlex Foundry, Jessica Warren, Colorado Springs & EDC

Hear firsthand lessons from students, employers, and regional partners who collaborated to bring real-world industry projects into the classroom.

The Apprenticeship Effect: Future-Ready Pathways

Presenters: Maddy Oaks, Debbie Shackelford,  Apprenticeship Colorado

Learn practical strategies for connecting CTE programs, Registered Apprenticeships, and employer partnerships into stronger career pathways. 

The Future of Work Is Here: Preparing Learners for an AI-Driven Economy

Presenter: Jonathon Liebert, Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado

Explore how AI is transforming careers and discover strategies for preparing learners to thrive in a rapidly changing workforce.

Trailblazing a new nursing pathway: Apprenticeship degrees to fuel Colorado’s healthcare workforce

Presenter: Christine Heitz, Colorado Thrives

Learn how Colorado is building nursing apprenticeship pathways to address workforce shortages.

Unlocking Employer Partnerships: Talent Development Insights & Tools

Presenter: Chelsea Miller, UpSkill America at the Aspen Institute

Gain insight into employer perspectives on talent development and leave with practical tools for building stronger workforce partnerships.

What It Takes to Scale: Turning Cross-Sector Partnerships into Workforce Pathways

Presenters: Shaylyn Kettering, Colorado Attorney General, Clay McCombe, Power Ahead Colorado, Stacey Putka, Breakthrough

Learn how cross-sector partnerships can evolve from pilot programs into sustainable workforce pathways that meet employer and community needs.