NASH and the CSU System Launch Community-Driven, Employer-Aligned Workforce Initiative to Grow Local Talent in Southwest Colorado

Back-to-back commitments from local employers, state agencies, and CSU Extension set the stage for employer-aligned career pathways across Archuleta, La Plata, and Montezuma counties.

DURANGO, Colo. — The National Association of Higher Education Systems’ (NASH) Office of Workforce Development and the Colorado State University System (CSUS) recently convened regional employers, state and local agency partners, and community leaders to launch Talent Readiness–Colorado (TRC), a flagship statewide workforce development partnership. 

Hosted at Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO, the convening brought together industry partners, workforce and economic development professionals, and higher education leaders to identify ways of accelerating regional employer partnerships, integrating state agencies, and designing a community-centered workforce framework. In Southwestern Colorado, TRC seeks to address persistent labor shortages in healthcare, construction, and city and county offices, while removing the barriers that limit adult learners’ access to traditional higher education and workforce training.

 

A Turning Point for Rural Talent

Following three years of community outreach, during which residents voiced a need for accessible, short-term trainings that were tied directly to regional employment, the Steering Committee meeting worked to develop TRC’s next phase: standing up employer-validated career pathways across Archuleta, La Plata, and Montezuma counties. The initiative embodies NASH’s concept of systemness in action, demonstrating how public higher education systems can mobilize their collective strength to drive regional economic mobility. Rather than relying on a single campus, CSU is leveraging its entire system, including CSU Global, CSU Pueblo, and Extension offices located in nearly every county statewide, to ensure opportunities for Colorado residents are widespread, scalable, and grounded in local community needs. 

“Talent retention in rural America will not be solved one campus at a time,” said Nancy L. Zimpher, President of NASH. “What the CSU System is doing in Southwest Colorado shows what happens when a system puts its full weight behind a community: extension offices, faculty, employers, and state agencies all pulling in the same direction. NASH is proud to partner in this endeavor which exemplifies the true power of systems.”

“Our finish line isn’t just course completion; it’s long-term employment solutions and sustained local talent retention within communities across Southwest Colorado,” said Dr. Eric Ishiwata, Director of Workforce Development for Specialized Learning Communities at Colorado State University. “By bringing these programs directly into community spaces and designing them around actual life constraints, we are ensuring that learners don’t just enroll; they succeed and thrive in their hometowns.”

 

Key Outcomes and Next Steps

Throughout the day, industry, workforce, and higher education leaders discussed critical hiring needs in healthcare, construction, and city and county offices, exploring how regional coordination of already-existing resources can address persistent barriers, from transportation and childcare to limited access to campus-based programs.

During the session:

• Employers identified urgent hiring needs and key skills in healthcare, construction, and city and county offices, and committed to hosting paid internships.
• The Rural Workforce Consortium committed to collaborating with TRC on internships and training development.
• Participants highlighted the need for robust wraparound supports for learners.

“Talent Readiness–Colorado is about more than just filling immediate vacancies,” said Dr. Colleen Thouez, Vice President for Workforce Development at NASH. “It’s about creating a durable model for community-driven workforce development. When higher education systems collaborate with local employers and partners, they can design scalable pathways that work for every community.”

The next phase of TRC will move to delivery, with CSU launching high-impact pathways in healthcare, construction, and city and county administration in September 2026. Each pathway combines foundational workplace skills, employer-informed technical training, and paid work-based learning with local employers in early 2027.

With systems across the country actively seeking models for workforce-driven systemness, NASH is preparing to adapt and scale the CSU framework nationally.

For more information about Talent Readiness–Colorado, visit https://nash.edu/workforce/.

 

About NASH

Founded in 1979, the National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH) works to advance the role of multi-campus systems and the concept of systemness to create a more vibrant and sustainable higher education sector. NASH represents the 110 public higher education systems in the U.S., which include more than 1,450 institutions and serve 16.2 million students nationwide. Learn more at www.nash.edu.

About the Colorado State University System

The Colorado State University System embodies excellence, efficiency, and access in higher education, leveraging the strengths of three diverse campuses to serve its students, Colorado, and the world. With seven Agricultural Experiment Stations, 19 Colorado State Forest Service district and field offices, two engagement centers, and Extension offices in almost every county, the CSU System provides services to 64 counties — every corner of Colorado. Learn more at www.colostate.edu.