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B.O.L.D. 2026

Talent

B.O.L.D. 2026 (BOLD – Big Opportunities for Leaders to Deliver) is a five-year regional economic strength and resiliency initiative of the Arvada Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber developed BOLD 2026 in consultation with private and public sector leaders and partners in Arvada, Jefferson / Adams Counties, Metro Denver and the state of Colorado.

Our Goal

C

Grow our talent to meet the needs of employers and job seekers.

Summary

C

We will ensure Arvada and Jefferson / Adams Counties develop, retain, and attract the skilled workers needed by area employers; we will ensure a competitive advantage for area employers through quality workers and for workers through quality jobs.

B.O.L.D. 2026 Talent

Challenges

Linkage to business health, the regional economy and our standard of living.

In Arvada and Jefferson / Adams Counties – and throughout the world – a lack of talent impedes the ability of employers to serve their customers/clients – and threatens the ability of employers to survive and thrive.  An inadequate talent pool can erode employer margins as they pay more for scarce talent, and it can slow production, degrade quality, and disrupt supply chains. When employers struggle, the regional economy struggles, and incomes and our standard of living decline.

Inadequate supply of available talent.

Employer demand continuously outpaces the supply of qualified workers; nationwide in February 2022, there were only 58 unemployed workers for every 100 job openings; in Arvada in February 2022, there were 3,126 open jobs listed on Indeed alone and a low 3.7% unemployment rate; various factors are impacting the supply of available talent

  • Employee resignations / turnover
  • Declining number of women in the workforce
  • Declining births and fertility rates
  • Declining population growth

Inadequate skills alignment.

Workers don’t have the skills needed by many primary employers

  • Skills gap. 78% of hiring managers say a skills gap persists across industries
  • Uneven educational outcomes (high school graduation rates) / workforce preparedness

Barriers. As a region, we are not progressing fast enough in knocking down barriers to talent availability. See subsequent workforce housing and childcare sections for details on these barriers

Lack of regional coordination.

Jefferson / Adams Counties do not have a coordinated talent / workforce development effort to serve businesses and workers; businesses, non-profits, and schools work in silos leading to talent gaps and negatively impacting businesses and job seekers.

Our Work

Catalyze a coordinated regional approach to meet talent needs

Take immediate action to connect employers to talent

Increase career awareness & work-based learning opportunities

Support employers in retaining and attracting talent

  • Top Challenges Summit

Updates and Resources

See our B.O.L.D. 2026 Investors

B.O.L.D. 2026 Goals

1

Grow Your Talent

Grow our talent to meet the needs of employers and job seekers.

Learn more

2

Increase Stock of Workforce Housing

Increase the stock of workforce housing to ensure workers can attain housing within reasonable proximity to their jobs.

Learn more

3

Increase Childcare Capacity

Increase Childcare Capacity to enable caregivers to join / rejoin the workforce and give children the quality early learning experience they need to thrive.

Learn More

4

Strengthen Business Environment: Advocacy

Ensure elected leaders effectively represent business interests in legislative and policy matters at the local, regional, state and national levels.

Learn more

5

Strengthen Business Environment: Entrepreneurship

Increase our ability to provide direct one-on-one support and broader collective resources to all businesses.

Learn more