Progress for Colorado’s Green Education Pathways

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Grant Award Announcement

In October, a coalition of partners, including Lyra, Colorado Succeeds, the Colorado Workforce Development Council, and two other rural education collaboratives, received a $750,000 grant from Jobs for the Future (JFF) as part of its Quality Green Jobs Regional Challenge. This funding will support the Green Rural Opportunity Workforce Network (GROWN) over the next three years, connecting 5,000 students in rural Western Colorado to valuable green job opportunities through education and training. 

Empowering the Next Generation  

The GROWN initiative, led by Lyra, aims to close the gap between growing employer demand for a skilled green workforce and the number of individuals ready to fill these positions. By integrating green skills into college and career education pathways, GROWN will prepare students for careers in high-demand and growing industries such as green construction, clean energy, sustainable agriculture, and environmental conservation. 

Collaborative Efforts  

GROWN will build on the foundational work of three key rural education collaboratives across Western Colorado: 

  • Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative 
  • Western Slope Schools Career Collaborative 
  • Yampa Valley Partnership for Students, Stewardship, and Sustainability 

These rural collaboratives will integrate green skills into education pathways through courses and work-based learning opportunities to prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow. Together, GROWN is building a talent pipeline responsive to the needs of each region, with a focus on construction, energy, and environmental conservation. Partnering with Colorado Succeeds, GROWN helps accelerate employer engagement and alignment with industry needs and shares best practices statewide through the Colorado Workforce Development Council and Colorado Clean Tech to transform rural green workforce development systems.  Read more about GROWN.