B.O.L.D. 2026
Key Accomplishments

The Arvada Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with an action team of education, business and non-profit partners, created this Work-Based Learning Toolkit to help guide businesses through the terminology, data, roles, benefits, and action steps of work-based learning (WBL). WBL connects local students and adults with businesses in an intentional way to engage in real-world work experiences. This equitable, flexible approach to hands-on industry experience is designed to upskill the community’s talent pipeline to directly serve the academic, technical and social needs of the local economy. Learn more.

This initiative aligns with the B.O.L.D. 2026 plan, where the Arvada Chamber (alongside Jefferson County Business & Workforce Center) is committed to fostering a well-coordinated regional strategy to address talent requirements. Given that the Construction field is a major and rapidly expanding sector in our locality, it has become imperative for our community to assemble leaders who can collectively devise solutions in line with industry trends. Learn more.

The Arvada Chamber partnered with the Jeffco Business and Workforce Center and Jeffco Public Schools to launch our first Work-Based Learning Workshop. The focus of the workshop was to support businesses in exploring, engaging, and expanding work-based learning within their organization. Learn more.

Career Hubs have launched at four Jeffco High Schools over the past year through G.R.O.W. (Get Ready for Opportunities to Work) Jeffco efforts developed in collaboration with Jeffco Public Schools and the Arvada Chamber of Commerce. Career Hubs were designed to accomplish a system solution with the equitable engagement of partners across the education-to-employment pipeline. Our collective goal is to implement 20 career hubs across Jeffco to reach 30,000 students and 2,500 employers, year-over-year. This initiative addresses the misalignment of school-to-career preparation and is a critical component of our Talent work in B.O.L.D. 2026. Learn more.

The Arvada Chamber hosted a Human Resource Professionals Cohort kick-off at Barber-Nichols on Monday, December 11. The event hosted nine HR leaders from diverse businesses across the Arvada region. Going beyond traditional networking, the HR Cohort offers a platform for the exchange of ideas, implementation of emerging practices, and leadership in revolutionizing HR strategies. Learn more.

“Thank you to the Arvada Chamber for your commitment to our Jeffco schools and career pathways! Your partnership is a great representation of Our Communities: Our Legacy in Jeffco.”

The Greater Arvada Chamber of Commerce completed the distribution of $400,000 to 50 different employers through the Work-Based Learning Incentive Program. This state-funded program enabled businesses and non-profits across 19 industries (including hairstyling, financial advising, and manufacturing) to offer employees and interns the opportunity to gain industry-specific skills. Learn more.

This comprehensive, free digital program and toolkit is designed to empower businesses of all sizes to implement or expand work-based learning (WBL) initiatives effectively.

Included is:

• A free 1-hour online training for businesses (available for 45 days after registration)
• Key information in one place for businesses to start or formalize their work-based learning program. Learn the benefits of providing WBL programming and which type of programming is best for your business.
• A printable toolkit that includes the online training content.

Learn more.

Designed and facilitated a three-session series is designed that brought together insurance agency owners and leaders who are navigating talent pipeline issues around leadership, performance, and retaining great people.

The Metro West Construction Sector Partnership, co-facilitated by the Greater Arvada Chamber and Workforce Colorado (serving Jefferson, Clear Creek and Gilpin) release “Selecting and Building Out Commercial Space: A Small Business Guide” (https://www.arvadachamber.org/selecting-and-building-out-commercial-space/). This practical, step-by-step guide is designed for small business owners navigating the commercial real estate and construction process. It also helps construction projects stay on budget, on time, and helps project teams communicate effectively.

General contractors, engineers, architects, commercial real estate brokers, and city and county officials in this sector partnership co-created the guide. It incorporates deep knowledge and information from the people doing this work every day.

LEARN MORE

The Chamber and its partners leveraged Talent Pipeline Management and regional partnership to quantify urgent demand in six high-impact roles, surface root-cause workforce challenges, and drive concrete solutions, such as launching a new CNC Machinist Bootcamp at Red Rocks Community College, and a Mechatronics pathway progra at Warren Tech. The process equips regional partners with a shared roadmap to design pathways for these rolls, align education and workforce efforts, and grow a more diverse, future-ready aerospace manufacturing talent pipeline.

In April, the Chamber, in collaboration with Workforce Colorado and the Metro-West Advanced Manufacturing Alliance, released messaging, flyers and best practice guides to elevate interest in the advanced manufacturing industry.

The Chamber released a new resource, the Employer Guide to Work-Based Learning Talent Providers, which helps you quickly identify the education and training partners to reach out to based on your priorities, needs, and capacity.

The Business Case for Engaging with Future Talent explains why it’s critical for businesses to engage with future talent, what you’ll get when you do, and links a webpage listing current opportunities to get involved.

Through the Advanced Manufacturing Sector Partnership, co-facilitators connected 10 manufacturers with public partners serving job-ready candidates, including justice-involved individuals, K-12 and community college alumni, and young adults earning their GEDs. These connections help manufacturers fill immediate hiring needs.

The Chamber shared lessons from implementing Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) in Jefferson County on a panel for the Colorado Talent Academy’s second cohort. The Academy trains leaders statewide in TPM, an employer-led framework for defining workforce skill needs and aligning education systems to meet them.

In collaboration with Healthlinks, the Arvada Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to introduce the Family Friendly Workplace Certification Program! This innovative initiative aims to address workforce challenges by assisting Arvada regional businesses in attracting top talent.

This program involves three phases of certification. First, businesses complete an organizational survey on their family-friendly policies and practices and receives a customized evaluation. Then, businesses receive 1:1 consultation and resources, including employer toolkits, and trainings, to support and strengthen their family-friendly policies and practices. Finally, program businesses join a cohort of varying sizes and sectors to connect quarterly to learn about best practices and share updates. Learn more.

On February 28, the Arvada Chamber of Commerce hosted the B.O.L.D. 2026 Childcare Summit, a half-day event that explored innovative strategies, best practices, and regional resources addressing the critical issue of workforce childcare challenges. Learn more.

The Arvada Chamber of Commerce announced its Childcare KAPS Council to help Arvada and the region enable caregivers to join/rejoin the workforce and give children the quality early learning experience they need to thrive.

KAPS stands for Kick-Ass Problem Solvers and the Childcare KAPS Council combines partners from childcare, regional collaborative partners, and businesses together to support the B.O.L.D. 2026 Childcare goal. In its initial phase, the Childcare KAPS Council will focus on raising business leaders’ awareness and understanding of the region’s challenge with childcare access and affordability and the impact this has on business success. The KAPS council will also promote strategies that employers can implement to mitigate these challenges to boost talent recruitment and retention efforts. Additionally, the KAPS Council will be working to develop an actionable strategy for B.O.L.D. 2026 to support and engage childcare providers. Read more.

The Employer Childcare Toolkit provides employers with practical strategies, resources, and insights to better understand the connection between workforce childcare challenges and business outcomes. The toolkit features diverse resources and opportunities for employers of all sizes and from different industries to identify tailored childcare solutions based on organization needs and culture. Employers can take a crucial role in providing solutions to disrupt the challenges experienced by parents and caregiving employees. By leveraging the tools and resources provided in this toolkit, regional employers can take proactive steps toward addressing the childcare challenges faced by their workforce.

LEARN MORE

In April, the Chamber published a Family Friendly Workplace Badging Guide, which includes information for businesses on the program and ideas for sharing the badge internally and externally. The Chamber added seven businesses to the Family Friendly Workplace Program in Q2.

On June 4, the Chamber and EPIC (Executives Partnering to Invest in Children) gathered leaders from businesses, city and county government, the school district, and early childhood for a 2-hour workshop on the state of childcare access and affordability.

Apex Park and Recreation District, Goddard School of Arvada, Jefferson County Head Start, Jefferson County Public Schools, and Jovie agreed to participate in an employer collaborative focused on better understanding capacity and retention issues. Recognizing there are other significant organizations in this space, this partnership is just the starting point, and we hope to engage additional organizations as the work evolves.

Starting in June 2025, the collaborative invested time and resources in understanding the critical talent issues, their root causes, and brainstorming creative solutions. They agreed to use the Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) process in a “mini-cohort” format to drive the conversation and discovery as a starting point, with the opportunity to dive deeper in the future. The TPM process enables us to examine the entire talent supply chain, identifying where employer and education provider responsibilities intersect and where potential bottlenecks may occur.

Read more.

The Chamber is partnering with Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC) and other key child care and community partners through Spring 2027 to advance child care supply sustainability and development in Jefferson County. We will advance one key child care strategy, strengthen cross-jursidication coordination, and tailor support and convenings to local needs and opportunities

Collected nearly a dozen stories from child care businesses and wrote a letter of impact to federal officials advocated to federal officials

Participating in Family-Friendly Workplace Programs recognizes existing family-friendly practices our businesses have, supports retention and attractoin and provides resources for businesses to enhance their support to employees.

By facilitating peer learning and the exchange of practical strategies, the Chamber helped identify approaches to strengthen the child care workforce, expand provider capacity, and improve access to care for working families.

The podcast featured  a conversation with RB Fast of Westwood Academy on the true cost of child care. The episode explored the economic and regulatory factors affecting providers while highlighting why access to affordable, high-quality child care is a critical business and workforce issue.

The Chamber was one of seven Colorado chambers selected for the statewide initiative led by the Colorado Chamber Foundation, Gary Community Ventures, and Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC).

The Chamber created a childcare resource (https://bit.ly/4xFfY5p) to help businesses attract and retain working parents. It outlines options ranging from low-lift solutions to larger investments.. It also covers tax credits that offset costs and connects businesses to advisory support

The Chamber created a directory of local childcare openings to help working parents find care and provide a resource employers could pass on to their parenting workforce. The list includes 11 Arvada-area providers with 100 openings for children ages 6 weeks to 6 years, plus day camp options for school-age children. It also identifies providers open to employer partnerships, such as reserved slots for employees, tuition discounts, employer-sponsored scholarships, and shared investment among employers.

The Chamber partnered with Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC), Colorado Gives Foundation, and local and regional partners on a year-long effort to identify opportunities to expand childcare access in Arvada and support parent workforce participation. The resulting pilot brief, Advancing Local Solutions: Arvada Childcare Pilot, identifies four opportunities that build on existing local partnerships and assets, along with potential sites and funding sources. This positions Arvada to advance one implementation-ready childcare project in the next phase.

The Arvada Chamber’s Business Resource Center is your one-stop destination for all things business success! Think of us as your business resource librarian: here to help you navigate the vast landscape of resources, programs, and opportunities available to support your entrepreneurial journey.

Whether you’re a startup looking for guidance, an established business seeking growth strategies, or anything in between, our center offers a wealth of resources to help you thrive. Learn more.

Over 60 entrepreneurs have attended these events, which bring real-world insights from top leaders in the region.

Twenty two business leaders completed the Chamber’s first Sales Bootcamp with expert sales coach, Jay Mays, hosted at the Business Resource Center.

In June, four organizations completed the Chamber’s first EOS® Cohort, taking part in the 6-month program to master the Entrepreneurial Operating System.

This information is published on arvadachamber.org/BRC.

The 2025 Marketing Bootcamp Workbook is a practical, fill-in-the-blank guide designed to help small business owners establish a strong marketing foundation using data, branding, digital strategy, and customer insights. This evergreen workbook is available in the Chamber’s new Marketing and Advertising Store.

Designed for business leaders who want clear, actionable guidance, this toolkit guides businesses through the full AI adoption process, from early exploration to long-term strategy.

The Chamber opened a Media Studio for podcast and video recording, as well as a new meeting room available for small team reservations. These additions meet specific needs from entrepreneurs in our community.

This dynamic seven-week series is designed for managers with direct reports who want to sharpen their management style, boost team performance, and grow their confidence as leaders. Participants gain practical tools in areas like meeting facilitation, delegation, coaching, communication, and conflict resolution, all while connecting with fellow professionals in our community.

Arvada Business Today,  is a new business podcast delivering practical business insights in a concise format designed to fit the average 21-minute commute of Arvada professionals. Featuring conversations with business leaders, policymakers, and community partners, the podcast explores workforce trends, leadership, public policy, innovation, and economic development, providing listeners with actionable ideas that support business growth and strengthen the local economy.

AI for Business Deep Dive is a three-part bootcamp designed to help small businesses move beyond AI experimentation to real-world implementation.

These roundtables are to bring together brick-and-mortar business owners from different areas of Arvada. These conversations create a forum for businesses to identify shared challenges, discuss opportunities unique to their neighborhoods, and help shape localized strategies that strengthen commercial districts, improve collaboration, and inform future Chamber advocacy and initiatives.

The Chamber supported local business growth by engaging more than 80 attendees through educational programs and providing over 24 one-on-one meetings with entrepreneurs. Through personalized guidance, expert resources, and practical training, the Business Resource Center helped business owners overcome challenges, identify growth opportunities, and build stronger, more resilient businesses.

The Business Resource Center’s Elevate Bootcamp brought together managers from industries including insurance, manufacturing, financial services, and nonprofits. Over six weekly sessions, participants built core management skills such as meeting facilitation, delegation, coaching, and conflict resolution, while connecting with peers across the business community.

The Chamber launched the Know Your Numbers series for business owners and leaders . In the series participants identify the key metrics for their business and build a simple weekly review system, including tracking tools, routines, and accountability habits their teams can sustain.

SizeUp Arvada is a free business analytics tool that helps entrepreneurs and established business owners make data-driven decisions. Users can compare their performance to competitors, identify where to locate and advertise, and find new customers. The tool drew 136 unique visitors in Q3 of 2026.