Kim Poast on Leadership, Learner Voice, and What’s Next

Designing High-Quality Apprenticeships: An Employer Playbook

The Attainment Network is proud to welcome CareerWise as a collaborating sponsor of our 2025 L/Earner Voice Symposium on Oct 2, 2025 – a free virtual event elevating learner and earner perspectives to inform the design of inclusive, future-ready career pathways. CareerWise's Commitment to Learner-Centered Apprenticeship Design CareerWise Colorado is a national leader in building modern youth and adult apprenticeship models that align with workforce needs while supporting diverse learners. We’re grateful for their leadership and partnership over the years, and especially thankful for their support of this year’s L/Earner Voice Symposium! Featured Session: Teacher Degree Apprenticeship Program CareerWise will lead a breakout session featuring learner and earner experiences with their Teacher Degree Apprenticeship -- an innovative pathway that: Prepares future educators through hands-on, paid teaching experience Combines classroom learning with job-embedded mentorship Addresses Colorado’s teacher workforce gap , especially in rural districts Expands access to teaching careers for learners from underrepresented backgrounds Register for this free, virtual event today! Mark your calendar today and plan to join us in the fall for this free, virtual event where learners and earners share insights into how they navigate career exploration, postsecondary transitions, and job preparation in today’s evolving economy. When: Oct. 2 from 9 to 11 a.m. Where: Virtual event Cost: Free Register Today

As we head into summer, The Attainment Network team looks forward to connecting with you. We’re excited to participate in a wide range of events focused on data access, economic development, adult education, and other topics that are critical to our mission of building inclusive and effective education-to-workforce systems. Let us know if you’re planning to join us! Wednesday, June 3 – Eggs and the Economy: Bills, Budgets & Breakfast, Greenwood Village Rana is attending the Common Sense Institute’s legislative Recap. Thursday, June 5, 2025 – Techstars Workforce Development Accelerator Demo Day, Denver Michelle is looking forward to learning about innovative approaches to workforce development. Tuesday, June 10 – Alamosa Economic Development Meeting, Alamosa Ashley looks forward to engaging with regional leaders focused on talent development and economic growth. Monday, June 16 – Kathleen deLaski book signing, Downtown Denver Rana is attending the book signing for Who Needs College Anymore? Imagining a Future Where Degrees Won’t Matter’ hosted by the Donnell-Kay Foundation, Colorado Succeeds, and Willow Education Tuesday, June 17 – San Luis Valley Work Based Learning Coalition, Alamosa Ashley looks forward to continuing the work with local employers to support student internships and career exposure activities. Friday, June 20 – Homegrown Talent Coalition Meeting Rana, Michelle, and Stefan will gather with a network of education and workforce partners working to align strategies for career-connected learning across Colorado. Friday, June 20 – OEDIT’s Colorado for All: Business Showcase & Resource Fair, Denver’s Five Points Neighborhood Rana is excited to celebrate Colorado’s small business community.

The Attainment Network was honored to serve as one of the hosts for last week’s Opportunity Now Regional Talent Summit held in Durango, alongside the La Plata Economic Development Alliance and Fort Lewis College. The Summit brought together employers, educators, and community organizations from across Southwest Colorado and the San Luis Valley to discuss talent shortages – especially in healthcare, technology, and agriculture – and align around plans to build qualified local talent pipelines. As this recent article highlights, these conversations were part of a statewide series convened by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade through the Opportunity Now program. The summits are designed to foster collaboration needed to build education-to-workforce systems that provide inclusive opportunities for learners and earners while meeting critical local workforce needs – which is exactly what The Attainment Network excels at. In fact, our partnership in the San Luis Valley is making incredible progress toward our goals: We are 76% of the way toward our goal to train 70 new Certified Nurse Assistants We’re 50% complete with our goal to train 60 new Medical Assistants. We aim to place 78 learners in paid healthcare internships, and we’re 31% of the way there. We are also committed to supporting 50 current healthcare employs as they acquire additional education to advance in their careers, and we’re 30% of the way toward this upskilling goal.  👏 A big thank you to the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, Innovate Work Consulting, and our fellow hosts at La Plata Economic Development Alliance and Fort Lewis College for helping to lead this effort. Read more about the Summit here .

The Attainment Network team gathered last week to celebrate and thank Therese Ivancovich for her extraordinary leadership over the past nine years. It was a meaningful moment for our team — a chance to express our deep gratitude and share some laughs with an incredible leader who will be greatly missed. During her tenure, Therese grew The Attainment Network from a one-person operation into a respected and trusted organization with a proven track record of creating meaningful, lasting change across Colorado. Her dedication, expertise, and seemingly limitless energy helped shape how communities are preparing learners for today’s high-value, in-demand careers . As Therese steps down, she leaves behind a thriving organization, a powerful network of collaborators, and a lasting legacy of innovation, partnership, and hope for the future. We are deeply grateful for Therese’s leadership — and we are energized to carry forward the vision and momentum she helped build.

The Attainment Network team was energized by the collaborative spirit at last week’s Talent Summit and Sector Academy hosted by the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce, where Northern Colorado leaders came together to align efforts around workforce needs. Accelerating Progress through Collaborative Action We were honored to support the event and strengthen Northern Colorado’s sector partnerships by leading interactive strategy sessions for the Finance and Non-Profit Sector Partnerships . We brought our unique brand of facilitation to the table, using clear protocols and proven tools to help partners prioritize, align, and turn ideas into tangible strategies. We were also proud to support the Hospitality Sector Partnership alongside Bobbie Wolfe of the Colorado Workforce Development Council , helping deepen the connection between workforce needs and community resources. Data-Driven Insights A highlight of the Summit was the presentation from TIPS Strategies , which introduced an updated Talent Supply and Demand Analysis and Labor Market Profile for Larimer and Weld Counties. This work, part of the Workforce Data and Talent 2.0 initiative, is essential for identifying gaps and opportunities in the local talent ecosystem. Centering Learner Purpose A huge thank you to Mark Perna for his insightful keynote address which resonated deeply with our mission. His emphasis on helping young people find purpose as a way to guide their education and career journeys echoes our belief in centering learner and earner voice in all program design and development. Together with our partners, we’re proud to support the growing momentum across Colorado to create more connected, inclusive, and responsive talent development systems .

The April installment of our Professional Learning Series, “Apprenticeships for All” brought together leaders from across Colorado’s education and workforce landscape to explore how apprenticeships can better support learners on their path to high-value careers. A huge thanks to our panelists for sharing their work to expand high-quality apprenticeships and their insights on what it takes to ensure all learners can access and succeed in them: Kevin Riebau of Emily Griffith Technical College Londell Jackson of Apprenticeship Colorado Cori Gerlitz of the Construction Industry Training Council Bill Bicket of Greiner Electric And a very special thanks to Daesha Ottem for sharing her insights as an apprentice and now a project engineer at Greiner Electric ! Discussion Highlights Apprenticeship as a Path to a Degree Kevin Riebau shared the impact of HB25-1221, which was recently signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis. The law will allow EGTC to award Associate of Applied Science degrees to registered apprentices. This advancement creates stronger connections between hands-on learning and long-term career advancement. With more than 11% annual growth in apprentice enrollment , Kevin noted that interest in apprenticeships is higher than ever. EGTC’s offerings include registered apprenticeships in carpentry, electrical work, and voice-data tech—with new programs underway for school food specialists, HVACR, water operations and other high-value careers. Supports That Help Apprentices Succeed Panelists emphasized that apprenticeships are most effective when learners are supported every step of the way. Supports that can support learners in completing include: Flexible scheduling Mentorship and coaching Career navigation Assistance with childcare, transportation, and housing Challenges that Remain Daesha emphasized the need for clearer up-front information about possible career pathways and available supports. She also shared her experiences revealing gaps in continuity across programs, highlighting the need for collaboration across education and industry to support the success of apprentices. The Attainment Network’s Role We continue to: Partner with education and industry to expand access to high-quality apprenticeships Offer technical assistance and guidance for establishing high-quality apprenticeship programs or pursuing continuous improvement of existing programs Elevate strategies that center learner success Resources You can view the PowerPoint slides from the session here , and watch the full recording here. Check out some great resources available to those looking to start or improve apprenticeship programs in Colorado : 🔹 State of Colorado Apprenticeship Resources 🔹 The Attainment Network – Apprenticeship Toolkit 🔹 Emily Griffith Technical College – Apprenticeship Programs

Spring is in full swing, and The Attainment Network team is excited to be out and about across Colorado this April and May! We’re looking forward to learning alongside educators, employers, and community partners as we strengthen connections across the education-to-workforce landscape. Here’s where you can find us: Friday, April 18 – Cybersecurity K12 Summit, Colorado Springs Michelle will be diving into conversations about preparing students for careers in cybersecurity and advanced technology fields. Wednesday, April 23 – 2025 Talent Summit and 2nd Annual NOCO Sector Academy, Loveland Libby, Michelle, Katherine, and Rana will be facilitating conversations with key sector partnerships. Tuesday, April 29 -- Jeffco Business and Education Summit Rana and Michelle are excited to help connect local industry and business members to Jeffco Career and Technical Education programs. Wednesday, April 30 – Emily Griffith Foundation’s Celebration of Women in Trades, Denver Michelle is excited to support EGF and honor the women making an impact in trades. Monday, May 5 – Tuesday, May 6 – National Student Readiness Network (NSRN) Convening, Atlanta Rana and Michelle will be attending and connecting with national partners focused on student success and postsecondary readiness. Wednesday, May 7 – Colorado Business Roundtable Future of Work Event, “Looking Around Corners,” Denver Rana will be joining conversations about workforce innovation and the evolving needs of Colorado’s economy. Wednesday, May 7 - San Luis Valley Entrepreneurship and Innovation Expo 2025, “The Future of Healthcare,” Alamosa Ashley will join conversations about youth workforce innovation projects and expanding the future of healthcare in the San Luis Valley. Thursday, May 8 – Career Cluster Modernization Convening, Colorado Springs Libby will participate in this gathering to help shape the future of career and technical education clusters in Colorado. Friday, May 16 – Southwest Opportunity Now Talent Summit, Durango Rana, Ashley, Libby, and Katherine will head to Durango to collaborate with rural partners advancing inclusive career pathways. Thursday, May 22 – Friday, May 23 – Bloomberg Convening on Career and Technical Education, New York Rana will attend this national convening to share Colorado’s efforts and learn from CTE leaders across the country. These events reflect the vibrant work happening across the education-to-workforce landscape, and we’re honored to be part of it.  Are you planning to attend any of these events? We’d love to connect! Reach out or stop by and say hello!