Celebrating a Year of Partnership and Progress for Learners and Earners in the San Luis Valley
July 21, 2025
The Attainment Network was founded on a simple belief: partnership drives progress. Even so, we are amazed by what the San Luis Valley Career-Connected Partnership has accomplished in just one year.
Last week we gathered in Alamosa at Trinidad State College – Valley Campus with all of our partners to celebrate our accomplishments over the last year.
Our colleagues from Adams State University, Trinidad State College, San Luis Valley Health, Valley Wide Health Systems, Boys & Girls Club, the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment and many others heard firsthand from learners and earners whose education and career journeys are being transformed through this collaboration.
Meet a few of those learners and earners:
- Sunny Garcia – mother of a five-week-old infant – received support for books and nursing supplies while attending Adams State University to obtain her bachelor of science degree in nursing. She now works as a registered nurse at San Luis Valley Health and plans to start a doctorate program in nursing this fall.
- Nicole Peyer faced a major setback when her car broke down during her first semester in the nursing program at Adams State University. With help from partners, she secured reliable transportation to continue school and work. Today, she holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing and is working as a registered nurse in the Medical/Surgical unit at San Luis Valley Health.
- Ronny Herrera, a father of two, received resources and support from partners while completing a master’s degree in clinical mental health. He plans to serve the youth in the Valley as a mental health counselor.
These stories are powerful, but they represent just a fraction of what this partnership has achieved. In its first year, the collaboration has:
- Expanded CNA and Medical Assistant training programs into 13 of the 14 school districts in the valley, with 9 of those offering full, standalone programs.
- Empowered more than 24 students with hands-on experience through internships, training in the mobile lab, and other work-based learning programs.
- Equipped 73 learners with an industry-recognized credential
- Supported 15 adult learners in advancing their education – 6 of whom have already graduated from their programs.
And the momentum continues! A mobile lab donated by SLV Health will travel the Valley this fall, giving students insight into careers in healthcare and other high-value careers as well as providing CNA and MA students with access to a clinic for hands-on training.
And thanks to virtual reality headsets from Transfr – donated by the LOR Foundation and the Colorado Department of Housing and Finance – students across the valley can explore healthcare and other in-demand careers right in their own classrooms.
What the San Luis Valley Career-Connected Partnership has accomplished is the future of rural workforce development. This framework for cross-sector collaboration can be used to meet critical workforce needs across rural Colorado – and that’s exactly what you’ll see in the future.
RECENT ARTICLES
I recently had the opportunity to meet Aimar Amezcua-Sandoval, a workforce development specialist at Denver Health, during a panel discussion at Metropolitan State University Denver titled Healthcare Careers You Didn’t Know Existed. During our conversation before the event, I learned something unexpected: Years earlier when I worked at the Denver Scholarship Foundation, I had hired the college and career advisor who helped launch Aimar’s journey. It was a powerful reminder that the systems we talk about improving are ultimately built and shaped by people. The ripple effects of a highly qualified, well-prepared advisor can extend far beyond a single decision or moment in time. We often talk about education and career pathways as if they are obvious routes that learners intuitively step onto and follow. In reality, many learners experience something very different. They face big decisions without clear information about their options or what steps to take next. That’s where career advising makes such a difference. Advisors help people distill their interests, understand what’s possible, and navigate decisions with more confidence. I wanted to hear more about Aimar’s career journey, so I reached out to learn more about her path from from high school student to nurse to workforce development specialist at Denver Health. The following edited excerpt from our conversation illustrates how powerful high quality career guidance can be.
Colorado’s upcoming Statewide Longitudinal Data System now has a catchy new name — COdata , short for Colorado Data Connections — marking its evolution from a policy vision into an accessible, user-friendly tool designed to help learners and their families, as well as educators and policymakers, make informed decisions about education and career pathways. At The Attainment Network’s February State of the Data webinar, Dr. Heather MacGillivary from the Governor’s Office of Information Technology shared meaningful progress and new opportunities for stakeholder engagement as COdata moves toward the launch of its first public reports this September. Key Updates Draft Research Framework The state has developed a draft 2–3 year research framework to guide how COdata will be used and expanded. The framework: Establishes shared definitions to reduce confusion across agencies and sectors Identifies priority questions about education-to-workforce pathways Emphasizes analysis of access and outcomes for diverse groups of Coloradans Stakeholder feedback on the Research Framework is being collected through May, with finalization expected in June. Contact heather.macgillivary@state.co.us to provide feedback. Public Data Dashboard Development The public-facing COdata dashboard is actively being built and tested. The team has: Conducted focus groups with state agency data partners to refine the interface Linked the majority of participating program data sources OIT is seeking feedback on the dashboard from learners, families and policymakers. Contact Stefan@attainmentnetwork.org if you know learners and families who would like to participate. You can review the full presentation and discussion here: 👉 Slides 👉 Recording Passcode: z5Sz!6&C In addition to system updates, CEEMI’s Roger Low reminded participants that evidence-building is not a box-checking exercise — it is about improving people’s lives. With limited public resources and complex challenges, research and evaluation help determine which strategies truly move the needle. Clear distinctions between outputs, outcomes, and impacts are essential to scaling what works. Ways to Stay Engaged 📊 Join the Better Data for Better Decisions Coalition Participate in monthly working sessions to provide stakeholder feedback and help align COData insights with major state priorities and policy decisions. Contact Stefan@attainmentnetwork.org for more information about the coalition. 🎤 Attend the Career-Connected L/Earning Conference, Oct. 29–30 in Colorado Springs Learn more about how data, evidence, and cross-sector collaboration shape Colorado’s education-to-workforce system. Learn More.
March is all about leadership in action. The Attainment Network team is stepping into spaces where strategy, influence, and collaboration converge. We’re excited to elevate rural voices, strengthen employer engagement, and participate in conversations shaping education-to-workforce systems across Colorado and beyond. Here’s where you can find us this March: 🗓️ March 3–5 🔹 Accelerate ED Community Convening — Columbus, OH Michelle Camacho Liu and Rana will join education-to-workforce leaders from multiple states to explore strategies for scaling high-quality pathways, building sustainable infrastructure, and strengthening connections that expand opportunity and build economic mobility for learners. 🗓️ March 5 🔹 NOCO Talent Summit — Northern Colorado Libby will join other NOCO leaders at this summit centered on strengthening partnerships between business, education, and government, with conversations on human skills in AI and connecting education to careers. 🗓️ March 11 🔹 San Luis Valley Career Fair — San Luis Valley Ashley and Wes will support this regional event connecting high school students with local employers, training programs, and career pathways. This fair will feature careers in agriculture. 🔹 Scrivner Policy Roundtable: Rural Renaissance and Colorado’s Policy Future — Denver Michelle Payne will join this conversation highlighting insights from Colorado Project 2.0’s Rural Renaissance initiative, elevating the voices and experiences of rural communities to continue building a roadmap for inclusive and sustainable growth. 🗓️ March 11–12 🔹 SLV Partnership Leadership Meetings – San Luis Valley Rana will meet with regional partners to discuss healthcare pathways progress and explore new opportunities for growth. 🗓️ March 18 🔹 Bo e ttcher Foundation Convening: State of Leadership — Denver Rana will join statewide leaders to reflect what’s working, what’s challenging, and what it takes to accelerate progress. 🗓️ March 19 🔹 Better Data for Better Decisions Coalition Meeting – Virtual Stefan will join this open, virtual meeting focused on priority data initiatives, including updates on Colorado’s State Longitudinal Data System. 🗓️ March 31 – April 2 🔹 Axim Collaborative: Employer Engagement CoLab – Cambridge, MA Rana and partners from MSU Denver and CCD will attend this executive-level working session focused on strengthening employer engagement and shortening time-to-hire through more aligned and effective talent pipelines. We hope to see you at one of these events — or hear from you if you’re working on similar efforts. March is shaping up to be a month of meaningful dialogue and forward motion.