The Program Facilitator and the seven Regional Hosts will work collaboratively to host the Regional Talent Summits in 2025, with oversight from the Office of Economic Development and International Trade.

The seven regions, and the summit timeframe for each region, are as follows:

Please refer to the Regional Map below for location specifics:

Program Facilitator

One Program Facilitator will be selected by the selection committee to facilitate the seven regional summits. The selected Program Facilitator should plan to be committed from approximately December 1, 2024 - December 1, 2025, and they will be granted $150,000, which will be processed through monthly invoices. Allowable expenses include Program Facilitator salary and travel expenses to and from the seven regional summits.

 Qualifications

1. Minimum Qualifications
   1. Strong project management skills with the ability to plan, execute and oversee large-scale projects.
   2. Experience in facilitating workshops and/or summits.
   3. Experience in fostering collaboration and alignment among diverse partners to achieve common goals.
   4. Ability to synthesize complex information and present actionable insights and recommendations. 
   5. Track record of establishing comprehensive plans.
2. Preferred Qualifications
   1. Demonstrated experience in education, training and/or workforce development initiatives.
   2. Previous involvement in producing landscape analyses.
   3. In-depth knowledge of regional economic development and workforce challenges in Colorado.
   4. Familiarity with local and state labor market trends, educational pathways, and industry needs.

Responsibilities

1. Pre-Summit: Provide Landscape Analysis for Each Identified Region
   1. Job Projections Overview: Gather data from existing labor market resources on current and projected job market trends within each region’s identified industry focus.
   2. Educational Pathways Overview: Document existing educational programs, pathways, and institutions that support workforce development in each region’s identified industry focus, including K-12, vocational training, community colleges and universities.
   3. Analysis and Synthesis: Analyze the collected data to identify key trends, gaps, and opportunities in the regional workforce and educational systems.
   4. Report Generation: Prepare detailed landscape analysis reports for each region’s identified industry focus, including job projections, skills demand, and educational pathways one month prior to regional summit facilitation. Reports should be standardized so that subsequent regional talent conversations can be pulled into a uniform workforce plan.
2. Pre-Summit: Lead Regional Talent Summit Implementation
   1. Coordination: Communicate regularly with the Regional Hosts, the Office of Economic Development and International Trade and the Colorado Workforce Development Council on summit implementation.
   2. Agenda Setting: Develop the agenda and structure for each summit in partnership with the Office of Economic Development and International Trade and the Colorado Workforce Development Council, ensuring it addresses regional economic and workforce development goals.
   3. Materials Preparation: Prepare materials for participants before, during and after each summit.
3. Summit: Facilitate Regional Talent Summits
   1. Facilitation: Lead the facilitation of seven regional summits, in person, guiding discussions where industry is central to the conversation, and ensuring that the various stakeholders are engaged and feel heard in the process.
   2. Data Collection: Capture qualitative insights and feedback from summit participants on regional economic goals, workforce development needs, and training requirements.
   3. Documentation: Document key findings and outcomes from each summit, including identified goals, trends, and action items.
4. Post Summit: Develop Comprehensive Tactical Plans for Each Region
   1. Needs Assessment: Conduct thorough assessments of the resources, needs, and challenges in each region, incorporating data from the landscape analyses and summit outcomes.
   2. Goal Setting: Work with regional stakeholders to establish two-year and five-year goals for developing career pathways in high-need fields.
   3. Plan Development: Develop comprehensive tactical plans, using regional resources and partnerships, that outline specific actions, timelines, resources, and responsibilities needed to achieve the regional goals.
   4. Monitoring and Evaluation: Establish a framework for monitoring progress and evaluating the effectiveness of the tactical plans.
5. Post Summit: Reporting
   1. Submit Summit Outcome Reports: Prepare and submit seven detailed reports summarizing the outcomes of each summit to the Office of Economic Development and International Trade and the Colorado Workforce Development Council by August 1, 2025.
   2. Submit Summit Synopsis: Prepare and submit a summary of key takeaways and themes across all summits, and suggest statewide actions to the Office of Economic Development and International Trade and the Colorado Workforce Development Council by August 31, 2025. 
   3. Submit Workforce Plans: Prepare and submit seven comprehensive tactical plans to the Office of Economic Development and International Trade and the Colorado Workforce Development Council by December 1, 2025. (Sample workforce plan, (PDF))

Regional Host

Seven Regional Hosts will be selected by the selection committee to coordinate event logistics for their region’s summit. The Regional Hosts should plan to be committed from approximately December 1, 2024-July 1, 2025, and will be granted $5K, which will be processed through invoices as costs are incurred. Allowable expenses include staff time, summit venue and catered lunch.

Serving as a Regional Host means the opportunity to be a regional leader alongside the Office of Economic Development and International Trade and the Colorado Workforce Development Council on the most pressing business and workforce issues. The resulting workforce plans will be included in the 2025 Colorado Talent Pipeline Report.

Should a Regional Host need more than $5K to cover summit expenses, they may request approval in their application to seek out business sponsorships, gifts/in-kind donations, grants and/or donations. These additional expenses are allowable, but need to be justified so that statewide summits are equitable.

Qualifications

1. Minimum Qualifications
   1. Eager to be a collaborative partner in coordinating event logistics, supporting day of events and tracking regional workforce plan progress.
   2. Strong project management skills with the ability to plan and execute large-scale events.
   3. Established relationships with business and education leaders throughout the identified region.
   4. Familiarity with local and state labor market trends, educational pathways, and industry needs.
2. Preferred Qualifications
   1. In-depth knowledge of regional economic development and workforce challenges in Colorado.

Responsibilities

1. Pre-Application: Identify Top Industries in Need of Workforce Development
   1. Stakeholder Engagement for Application: Engage with local businesses, industry experts, and/or economic development organizations to identify the top 1-3 regional industries in need of more workforce development education and training.
   2. Data Collection for Application: Support identified industry selection through readily available resources (e.g., Colorado Talent Pipeline Report, Regional and Local State Plans, Regional Resiliency Roadmap, WIOA State Plan, etc.).
   3. Letters of Support for Application: At least two letters of support from regional industry leaders that stand behind the identified industry selection(s).
2. Pre-Summit: Assist in Regional Talent Summit Implementation
   1. Coordination: Communicate regularly with the Program Facilitator, the Office of Economic Development and International Trade and the Colorado Workforce Development Council on summit implementation.
   2. Secure Facility: Identify and secure facility that can accommodate approximately 100 attendees. Space should include tables, chairs and A/V for event recording and remote access. Parking should be accessible to attendees.
   3. Provide Lunch: Host should provide midday lunch for attendees.
   4. Stakeholder Identification: Identify relevant regional stakeholders, including local employers, educational institutions, workforce development agencies, community organizations, and government representatives, that should be in attendance.
3. Summit: Provide Day Of Support
   1. Staff Support: Provide day-of summit support, as needed.
4. Post Summit: Submit Invoices and Expense Report
   1. Submit Invoices: Provide invoices as costs are incurred.
   2. Submit Expense Report: Provide an expense report outlining all summit expenditures within 30 days of hosting the regional summit.
5. Post Summit: Contribute to Annual Progress Reports
   1. Tracking & Reporting. Help with outcome tracking and work with the local workforce board to report on regional progress. 

Applications

• Program Facilitator Application
• Regional Host Application

Timeline

• Informational Webinar: Sep. 16, 2024 at 9 a.m. MST
• Application Opens: Sep. 17, 2024 at 12 p.m. MST
• Application Closes: Oct. 2, 2024 at 12 p.m. MST
• Finalist Interviews/Reference Checks: Oct. 25-30, 2024
• Email Notifications: by Nov. 1, 2024

Resources

• Informational Webinar, (Google Slides)
• Frequently Asked Questions, (Google Doc)

Program Facilitator Application Questions

• Provide an overview of the organization(s) and individuals to be assigned to the project. Should this application represent a partnership between two or more organizations, please explain how the responsibilities would be divided among the team.
• Describe familiarity with Colorado workforce challenges and/or local and state labor market trends, educational pathways and industry needs.
• Describe experience facilitating workshops and/or summits with diverse stakeholders.
• Provide a sample timeline for key milestones Dec. 1, 2024 through Dec. 1, 2025.
• Provide a sample regional summit agenda that could lead to actionable goals.
• Provide an example of an exercise you might incorporate into the summits to draw out ideas, solutions and/or alignment among regional business and education representatives.
• Describe experience generating landscape analyses or related reports.
• If possible, provide samples of landscape analyses or reports produced.
• Provide two references from related work experiences.
• Upload copy of General Liability Certificate of Insurance.
• Upload Program Facilitator Acknowledgements & Attestation, (PDF) form

Regional Host Application Questions

• Provide an overview of the organization(s) and individuals to be assigned to the project. Should this application represent a partnership between two or more organizations, share how the responsibilities would be divided among the team.
• Why is your organization interested in serving as a Regional Host, and why is it well suited for this role?
• Describe your experience planning in-person events for 50+ attendees.
• Describe the likelihood of being able to secure a facility and provide lunch, including potential venues and caterers that may be available to support your region's event.
• Describe a time when your organization had to work within a tight budget to deliver a high-quality event.
• If you intend to seek out additional funding to cover Regional Host expenses, please explain why you would seek out business sponsorships, gifts/in-kind donations, grants and/or donations, and your goal amount of these additional funds.
• List the 1-3 industries facing workforce shortages in your region that you believe should be your region’s industry focus.
• List existing regional partnerships, programs, and/or resources currently supporting these identified workforce needs.
• Provide two letters of support from regional industry leaders that stand behind your identified industry selection(s).
• Upload copy of General Liability Certificate of Insurance.
• Upload Regional Host Acknowledgements and Attestation, (PDF) form.

Multi-Stage Review Process

1. Internal Review: Applications are first reviewed to ensure eligibility and all required materials have been submitted. Incomplete applications may be rejected.
2. Selection Committee Review: The Selection Committee, made up of evaluators representing both business and education, will independently evaluate the applications submitted using a structured scoring system. 
3. Selection Committee Meeting: The Selection Committee will then meet to discuss the application evaluations and select the most competitive applicants for the Program Facilitator and Regional Host positions.
4. Finalist Interviews/Reference Checks: Should there be a need, top applicants may be interviewed and/or have their references checked for added context and clarity.
5. Executive Director Review: Recommended applicants will be presented to the Executive Director for final determination. Applicants will be notified of their status by November 1, 2024.

Selection Committee Review Scale

• 3 – Exceeds Expectations: Answer provides evaluator with excellent information resulting in great confidence in the applicant's anticipated contributions.
• 2 – Meets Expectations: Answer provides evaluator with enough information to be confident in the applicant's anticipated contributions.
• 1 – Somewhat Meets Expectations: Answer provides evaluator with some information to be somewhat confident in the applicant's anticipated contributions.
• 0 – Does Not Meet Expectations: Answer provides evaluator with little to no related information resulting in lack of confidence in the applicant's anticipated contributions.

This project is funded through State of Colorado tax dollars. As such, the people and activities funded through this program shall comply with State policies regarding use of State funds. OEDIT staff will provide guidance to the selected hosts and program facilitator on how to comply with the polices.

Applicants should review the State of Colorado Small Dollar Grant Award Terms and Conditions, (PDF).

Rejected applications may appeal the decision through an appeals process. The rejection notice will include information on how to file the appeal. This application must be filed within 15 days of receipt of the rejection notice.

The formal appeal will trigger a review of the decision by OEDIT’s Purchasing and Contracts Director. The Director will have 15 days from the receipt of the formal appeal to determine whether the award rejection aligned fairly with the evaluation processes and to inform the appeal requestor of the determination.