Research & Reports
In today’s business environment, nothing is more important to a company's success than its workforce. And it is becoming more challenging for businesses to find workers with the necessary skill sets to help them prosper in our competitive global economy.
In early 2006, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded the seven-county Metro Denver region (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties) and two-county Northern Colorado area (Larimer and Weld Counties) a four-year, $15 million grant, WIRED (Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development).
The Metro Denver WIRED Initiative's goal is to expand the pipeline of highly skilled workers in the region's fastest growing industries: aerospace, bioscience, energy, and IT/software, and to implement a “transformational” approach to regional workforce development.
A major step in crafting a region’s economic development strategy focuses on determining industries to target for growth and retention. The Metro Denver EDC published a study of Metro Denver's top industry clusters. Read the executive summary or go to the industries section to learn more.
The Toward a More Competitive Colorado (Third Edition, 2008) report also examines Colorado's competitive position compared to the other 49 states.