Colorado's Blueprint For The Future Of Education And Work
Governor Jared Polis signs an Executive Order directing Colorado's state agencies to work together ... More to help more post-high school learners access needed credentials and jobs.
For decades, Americans have followed a linear path: education first, then work, with clear boundaries between the two. This industrial-era model is becoming obsolete in today's economy, where technological change accelerates career transitions and the average worker will hold nearly 13 different jobs over their lifetime, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The State of Colorado is confronting this new reality with Gov. Jared Polis's recent Executive Order (EO), "Reimagining the Future of the Postsecondary Talent Development System in Colorado," which aims to transform how education and workforce systems function together toward a more interconnected talent development system.
In the EO, signed on May 20, Gov. Polis asserted: "We must continue to close the gaps between academic and occupational education and training. Our education systems must meet learners where they are and serve them dynamically to meet the workforce demands of Colorado's growing economy."
The traditional boundaries between learning and earning are already blurring in practice. Many learners pursue credentials while working full-time, companies invest in employee education and educational institutions partner with employers on curriculum development. Yet government structures haven't adapted to this reality.
Colorado's initiative aims to close this gap by rethinking how education and workforce systems interact. Rather than treating them as separate domains with occasional intersections, the EO envisions an integrated talent development system.
Despite Colorado's impressive track record in workforce development—including free in-demand credentials, stackable credential programs, expanded apprenticeships and the nation's first equivalency framework that recognizes different educational modalities—pressing challenges remain. The state has two available jobs for every unemployed person, and while 90% of well-paying jobs require postsecondary education or training, undergraduate enrollment among Colorado residents has declined by 8% since 2010.
At the heart of Colorado's initiative is a fundamental shift in perspective: moving from an institution-centered system to a learner-centered ecosystem. The current system creates what a statewide task force described as "an immense administrative burden" with programs "managed, funded, and reported on separately," creating unnecessary complexity for both providers and learners.
The EO establishes several key principles to guide this transformation. It declares that reimagining the system is necessary to meet Colorado's economic needs, calls for aligned strategies among partners, emphasizes close collaboration between agencies and specifically targets young adults ages 18-24 who are neither in school nor employed.
Business leaders have welcomed the announcement as a decisive move in Colorado's rapidly evolving labor market. Colorado Thrives, a coalition of CEOs and business leaders from Colorado's leading employers, has established an ambitious goal to upskill or place 30,000 Coloradans into good jobs by 2030. The employer-led initiative, which includes leaders from Colorado-based companies including DaVita, Guild, Ibotta and Vail Resorts, seeks to address a critical reality in Colorado: while talent exists throughout the state, opportunity remains unevenly distributed.
"Colorado learners and jobseekers benefit from clear pathways to meaningful careers, and we all can help them get there," says Christine Heitz, CEO of Colorado Thrives. "Employers are excited to invest in local talent and be a positive force in the ecosystem. The Governor's Executive Order is an encouraging move to unify strategy, inspire bold action and make it easier to partner. Colorado thrives when we work together, and today's announcement propels us forward."
To implement this vision, Gov. Polis has directed key state agencies to collaborate on reimagining the talent development system. The Colorado Departments of Labor and Employment, Higher Education, and Regulatory Agencies will work with the Office of Economic Development and International Trade to develop a comprehensive plan.
"Governor Polis' executive order is a strong step toward aligning education and workforce systems to deliver better outcomes for learners and employers alike," says Dr. Steve Taylor, policy director and senior fellow on economic mobility at Stand Together Trust. "By breaking down silos across state agencies and focusing on talent development as a unified effort, Colorado is setting a national example for how to streamline resources and create a more efficient, demand-driven education-to-work ecosystem."
What makes Colorado's approach promising is its emphasis on connectivity. The statewide task force vision articulated that by age 21, every Coloradan should have access to in-demand industry credentials, relevant college credit and high-quality work-based learning opportunities at no cost. This value has been adopted by the Colorado Department of Education as part of its most recent strategic plan and forms the foundation for the new Homegrown Talent Coalition.
Colorado's initiative is part of a growing national conversation about the need to reimagine the relationship between education and work. In their report "The Big Blur," Jobs for the Future (JFF) advocates for a fundamental redesign of the last two years of high school and first two years of college into a single, more coherent system that bridges the gap between secondary education, postsecondary learning and workforce preparation.
'Too often, students, job seekers, and employers looking to gain skills are forced to navigate confusing and disconnected pathways from learning to work,' says Joel Vargas, a vice president with JFF. 'Governor Polis' action is an exciting step toward breaking down the arbitrary barriers between our education and workforce systems. This sets the stage for a more streamlined, learner-friendly system – that also responds to the needs of employers and Colorado's economy. This is the kind of bold leadership we have called for in our 'Big Blur' work and I hope other states are paying attention.'
Jamie Merisotis, president and CEO of the Lumina Foundation and author of America Needs Talent, proposed a national Department of Talent nearly a decade ago, which would be positioned to address challenges similar to those facing Colorado. While the vision did not materialize at the national level, the fact that a state like Colorado is examining the integration of postsecondary education and workforce programs leaves Merisotis optimistic about states' visions.
'States need to focus on their talent needs, and how best to get there,' says Merisotis. 'We should care a little less about who provides the learning and a little more about what the state's residents know and can do in order to meet their personal objectives and the labor market needs of the state.'
Colorado's effort comes at a critical moment when researchers are focused on how education systems need to adapt for longer lifespans. At Stanford University, Dr. Mitchell Stevens, professor of education and co-director of the Stanford Center on Longevity, and a team of over two dozen Futures Fellows are developing a framework to address these challenges.
Their work emphasizes that with lengthening lifespans, Americans will face multiple career transitions and need continual skill renewal. The traditional model of front-loading education, followed by a single career and retirement no longer serves us in an era where many will live into their 80s and 90s.
'What we see across the country is a general desire by state leaders in workforce, education and economic development to work together, but regulations, dedicated funding streams and competing metrics pull parties located in different offices in separate directions,' says Stevens. 'This is especially the case between colleges, universities and workforce agencies, whose leaders have often eyed each other with suspicion. A focus on talent development across the life course might reset both the structures and the stereotypes that keep otherwise well-meaning people from cooperating.'
The Futures Project identifies five imperatives: reconfiguring education in the first quarter of life, growing talent for the future of work, democratizing economic mobility, sustaining prosperity over longer lives and supporting transitions across the life course. Their research concludes that the country needs systems that recognize the cumulative returns on investment in human capital from birth through adulthood.
Implementing such systemic changes will require program modernization, new data systems, revised accountability frameworks and sustainable funding. Questions remain about breaking down longstanding silos, aligning funding streams and creating truly integrated experiences for learners.
Other states are also recognizing the need to align education and workforce systems. According to the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) association, at least three other states have similar strategies to those proposed in the Colorado EO. Oregon has integrated their Workforce Development Board under their Higher Education Coordinating Commission, Utah moved its Talent Ready initiative from Economic Development to Higher Education and Missouri has implemented similar structural reforms that combine its higher education, workforce development and economic research efforts.
What makes Colorado's approach noteworthy is its comprehensive vision that extends beyond administrative reorganization to fundamentally rethink how education and training are delivered throughout a person's life.
William Gibson famously remarked that "the future is already here—it's just not evenly distributed." Colorado's EO recognizes that the future of education and work is already emerging in pockets across the state and nation. The challenge is making this future more accessible by creating systems that enable all learners to navigate seamlessly between learning and earning.
As implementation proceeds, Colorado is positioning itself at the forefront of innovation in human capital development—creating a system designed not for the economy of yesterday, but for the ever-evolving demands of tomorrow. The traditional boundaries between student and worker, education and employment, are dissolving, and Colorado is embracing this change to build a system where learning and earning are concurrent, lifelong activities. The rest of the nation would be wise to watch closely.
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