Regional Talent Summit in Durango Sparks Collaboration

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.

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On the Move in July

July 2, 2026

As our nation celebrates 250 years, we're inspired to keep building toward a future where opportunity is within reach for every learner and earner. Throughout July, The Attainment Network team will join partners across Colorado and the country to strengthen career-connected learning, expand economic mobility, and build systems that help every learner and earner thrive. Here’s where you can find us this July: 🗓️ July 1 🔹 Colorado Space Institute Space Educator Bootcamp Celebration – Castle Rock Emily will join education, industry, and workforce partners to celebrate the Colorado Space Institute’s Space Educator Bootcamp and explore how educators are bringing space science and STEM learning into classrooms across Colorado. 🗓️ July 10 🔹 Regional Accountable Entity 1 San Luis Valley Programs Improvement Advisory Council Meeting – Alamosa Wes will join healthcare providers, community organizations, and regional leaders working together to strengthen healthcare programs and address the social determinants of health across the San Luis Valley. 🗓️ July 13-15 🔹 CU Badge Summit – Boulder Stefan will attend this national convening focused on the future of digital credentials and how they can expand learning and career opportunities. 🗓️ July 14-16 🔹 College Board District Success Network Conference – Denver Rana will serve on a panel exploring how schools can help students connect classroom learning to future college and career opportunities. 🗓️ July 16 🔹 Postsecondary Talent Development System Transition Advisory Committee – Denver The Transition Advisory Committee, including our own Michelle Camacho Liu, reconvenes to continue developing recommendations to guide Colorado's new unified postsecondary talent development system. 🗓️ July 20-21 🔹 ECMC Research Gathering: From Questions to Change – Minneapolis Stefan will join ECMC Foundation partners from across the country to explore how research, policy, and practice can work together to drive meaningful systems change. 🗓️ July 23 🔹 Construction Pathway Meeting – Alamosa Ashley and Wes will reconvene with education, workforce, and industry partners in the San Luis Valley to continue building a shared strategy for strengthening construction career pathways across the San Luis Valley. 🗓️ July 30 🔹 Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants Summer of Fun – Colorado Springs Michelle Payne will connect with accounting professionals, educators, and employers to explore trends in the profession and opportunities to expand mentorship and internship pathways. If you’ll be at one of these events or working on something similar, please reach out. We’d love to hear from you.