(1) The general assembly hereby finds and declares that:
The state is facing a serious shortage of skilled workers to fill openings in variousindustries in the state, and it is predicted that the skilled work force shortage will continue;
Many government and nongovernment entities and organizations offer skilled training programs throughout the state to train individuals in various skill sets needed in the work force;
While skilled workers are needed and training programs are available, many Coloradans are not aware of the availability of these programs and the potential for entry into a new career;
According to the department, more than one hundred thirty thousand Coloradans areunemployed, and more than forty thousand Coloradans have been unemployed for at least twenty-six weeks, based on the United States department of labor's current population survey;
Colorado has a reputation for meeting its work force needs, in part, by importing alarge share of highly educated workers from outside the state;
The state must ensure that the education and training pipelines within Colorado areadequately preparing youth and adults for the work force and are aligned with the needs of the economy;
It is important to actively seek out and recruit individuals throughout the state toencourage them to enroll in and complete a skilled worker training program, thereby enabling participating individuals to gain access to openings in skilled industries in Colorado; and
Further, it is important to coordinate skilled worker training and education programsthroughout the state and Colorado's key industries, as identified in the current economic development blueprint produced by the office of economic development and the annual Colorado talent report. The coordination should include:
Identifying current, future, and critical work force needs;
Partnering with industry associations and businesses to assess and determine theirwork force needs; and
Coordinating with skilled worker training providers on skill sets being developedand the quality of applicants being trained.
Source: L. 2015: Entire part added, (HB 15-1276), ch. 225, p. 828, § 1, effective May 26.
Editor's note: Section 8-83-307.5 provided for the repeal of this section 8-83-302, effective September 30, 2021. (See L. 2020, p. 594.)