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Building A Sustainable Local Talent Pipeline For YOUR Business
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September 23, 2019
The Arvada Chamber of Commerce serves as a convener for local industry to connect with education and community partners who are preparing our future workforce. In this update, we share the latest program updates, events, and opportunities for you to get involved.
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NORTH ARVADA MIDDLE SCHOOL'S CAREER & COLLEGE EXPO
Thursday, October 17, 2019 |10:45 AM - 2:00 PM
This expo will be a key part of North Arvada's career unit aimed to help a diverse class of 8th-grade students explore education and career opportunities that match their unique abilities, talents, and interests. Representatives of industry or educational institutions can interact directly with students, help them to understand what a career in that field could entail and answer any questions about how they can gain the appropriate education or training to pursue their career interests.
Click HERE to learn more about reserving an expo booth!
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CONGRESSMAN PERLMUTTER'S APPRENTICESHIP FAIR Saturday, October 19, 2019 |9:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Westminster High School
This informational event will help young adults and experienced professionals be successful in the 21st Century workforce by offering resources and connections to local Career & Technical Education programs, internships, apprenticeships and other on-the-job training opportunities. Invited to attend are Jefferson County high school students, out of school youth, family members and experienced professionals looking for a career change.
Click HERE if you are interested in participating as a vendor!
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ARVADA WEST FUTURE DAY
Tuesday, October 22, 2019 |8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Future Day is an opportunity for students to connect with and learn from career and college professionals in the community. This year, approximately 700 juniors and seniors will attend 3 breakout sessions and interact with organizations at the Future Fair.
Click HERE to apply to speak on a topic or host a table for your organization!
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PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT: K-12 SMARTLABS INITIATIVE
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On Wednesday, September 18, the Arvada Chamber of Commerce hosted its Q3 Arvada Works STEM and Manufacturing Collaborative meeting. The meeting was led by a presentation on the SmartLabs initiative by Denise Whinnen (Director, Colorado Programs at The Gill Foundation) and Heather Waldron (STEM Pathway Designer at Jeffco Public Schools - Colorado).
SmartLabs is a complete pathway STEM program designed for students from elementary to high school. A SmartLab is a fully-integrated environment in schools that allows students to explore STEM and media arts through applied technology and project-based learning. SmartLabs are made possible by a generous grant from The Gill Foundation and the Jeffco Schools Foundation, as well as collaboration with Colorado-based Creative Learning Systems and the local business community.
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“The STEM space is dynamic and evolving,” said Denise Whinnen. “As businesses react and change, schools will need to as well.”
In 2017, Englewood Public Schools was the first district in Colorado to provide this hands-on STEM program to all K-12 students. In fact, it was just the second curriculum in the country. North Arvada Middle School and Arvada High School are now adopting the program and building SmartLabs under the same curriculum.
Jefferson County and Arvada schools were a natural fit as the program looks to engage more diverse students to build early adopters for STEM-related skills. Winnen said in Jefferson County, students as young as eight years old are opting out of math and science. She said her goal is to have students that “aren't just excited about these pathways, but prepared.” The elementary level of SmartLabs focuses on foundational skills and exploration, and by middle school, those principles of technology start to align to core academic content.
How can your business get involved?
- Invest in Arvada High School and North Arvada Middle School SmartLabs
- Provide student apprenticeships, internships, mentorships, and summer jobs
- Offer teachers externships and interactive classroom resources
- Bring your industry problems to the students for projects and capstones
Learn more about this program and how you can contribute at this link.
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The Arvada Chamber of Commerce Job Board offers businesses, non-profits, and other organizations in the community the opportunity to post part-time and full-time job openings. Click HERE to access the Arvada Chamber of Commerce Job Board and see all current open positions. To add a new opportunity, click HERE.
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THANK YOU EMPLOYER COLLABORATIVES!
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The Arvada Works program currently facilitates four Employee Collaboratives that meet on a quarterly basis. Through a collective impact approach, our employers in these collaboratives work together to align skills and demand, and share resources to ensure long-term success for their industry. We want to thank all of our employers that have participated in Employee Collaboratives!
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Professional Services- Bryan Bernier, Professional Independent Insurance Agency of Colorado
- Christine Jensen, Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation
- John Bohannon, PrideStaff
- Larry Barker, Sonsio
- Darla Peterson, Diversified Personnel, LLC
- John Busch, Siemens
- Preston Branaugh, Branaugh Law Offices, PC
- Teri Starry, State Farm Insurance - Teri Starry
- Todd Baker, Todd Baker Insurance Agency, Inc.
- Mollie Gilligan, Payroll Vault
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STEM + Manufacturing- Alicia Svaldi, Faustson Tool Corp
- Danielle Delisa, Utility Control and Equipment Corporation
- Erica Easter, Easter-Owens Electric Co.
- Jen Bogacz, Sopheon Corporation
- Lance Vandemark, The Vertex Companies, Inc.
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Construction + Trades
- Ken Morfit, Arvada Automotive Center
- Andrew Heesaker, Arvada Rent Alls
- Carrie Torres, Asbestos Abatement Inc
- Erika Smith, Cenco Building Services
- Todd Colchin, Colchin Automotive
- Dan Cupit, Colorado Roofing Association
- Gary Arnold, Denver Pipefitters Local 208
- Amy Powell, GTC Construction
- Riley McLaughlin, I-Kota, Inc.
- Steve Norton, MacMillan Home Services, Inc.
- Megara Pullen, Mahnke Auto Body
- Brandon Pickering, Pickering's Auto Service
- Rich Garcia, Piper Electric Co., Inc.
- Mark Petrovich, Republic Services
- Nathan Cooper, Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association Colorado Chapter
- Sally Morris, Turner Morris, Inc.
- Scott Delaroy, WL Contractors
- Ashley Combs, The Vertex Companies, Inc.
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Healthcare
- Scott Phillips, Centura Health Emergency & Urgent Care
- Megan Durning, Lutheran Medical Center | SCL Health
- Dr. Julie Henderson, New Dawn Chiropractic & Acupuncture
- AshleyLane Boyle, Empowered Partnerships LLC
- Niki Lambertson, Trinity Orthodontics
- Lyle Pipher, Lyle Chiropractic
- Judy Emery, Greater Metro Denver Healthcare Industry Partnership
- Mark Paz, Occupational Medicine of the Rockies
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READY TO IMPROVE OUR LOCAL TALENT PIPELINE?
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The Arvada Works program relies on the varied contributions of our community employers, educators and partners. If you're interested in helping us close the skills gap in Arvada, there are many ways for you to get involved today!
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We're lucky to have hundreds of partners across Colorado and the country working to improve the workforce and provide resources concerning that goal. Below are some of our favorite updates on workforce development.
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