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REGISTER FOR The 2025 L/EARNER VOICE SYMPOSIUM
October 2 2025 @ 9:00 A.M.
Join us on Oct. 2 from 9 to 11 a.m. for the 2025 L/Earner Voice Symposium – a free, virtual event where learners and earners share insights into how they are navigating career exploration, postsecondary transitions, and job preparation in today’s evolving economy.
News and Updates
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 .
APPRENTICESHIP FOR ALL
Creating a workforce that embodies diversity isn’t just aspirational—it’s essential. We can lead employers and other sponsors through the steps to design apprenticeships with inclusivity at their core.
Meeting Healthcare workforce needs and expanding hope and opportunity for learners
Beneath the breathtaking Sangre de Cristo and San Juan mountain ranges, the communities in the San Luis Valley are grappling with some of the state’s highest poverty rates and an economy constrained by a critical shortage of skilled workers.
With more than 20 percent of the population in some Valley communities living below the federal poverty level, there is a pervasive sense of “generational hopelessness” among the local youth, according to longtime resident Rachael Cheslock.
