Economic Development 101: The Importance of Workforce Development and Talent Pipelines

In economic development projects, the number of jobs often gets the spotlight, but the jobs don’t have impact without people who fill them. Workforce development is a foundational leg of the proverbial economic development stool, and without it, even the strongest business attraction strategy will fall short. At Metro Denver Economic EDC, workforce and talent pipelines are central to how we position the Colorado Front Range for long-term economic success. 

At its simplest, workforce development is about ensuring that qualified people are available to fill the jobs we are recruiting to the region. And it the context of business attraction, it’s absolutely critical. Companies evaluating new locations are weighing risk: Do the right skills already exist? Is the talent base sufficient? How many people will need to be poached from competitors? Is there a reliable pipeline of future talent? Can the region adapt as technologies, industries, and work patterns change? The answers to those questions often determine where a project will land. 

A Convening Role in a Complex System 
Metro Denver EDC does not operate workforce programs directly. Instead, our role is to facilitate, convene, and align the many partners that influence talent development across the Front Range. Workforce is a shared responsibility, spanning public, private, academic, and nonprofit sectors across multiple and broad jurisdictions. Coordination is essential. 

We work closely with partners at the state level, including the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment and the Colorado Workforce Development Council, as well as local governments, workforce centers, and economic development organizations. Equally important are our relationships with K–12 systems, community colleges, higher education institutions, and nonprofit workforce providers that are building skills on the ground every day. 

Metro Denver EDC’s helps ensure these systems are connected and not operating in silos, and encourages education and training pathways to align with real-world employer needs. 

Employers at the Center of the Pipeline 
A strong workforce strategy must be informed by employers themselves. Metro Denver EDC encourages private-sector engagement so that workforce partners understand evolving skill requirements, emerging technologies, and changing patterns of work. When employers provide insight into hiring needs, credential gaps, and future demand, workforce providers can design more responsive and impactful programs. 

This employer feedback loop is essential not only for meeting today’s workforce needs, but for preparing for tomorrow’s economy.  Project and facilities scopes are evolving rapidly, influenced by dynamic changes in automation, advanced manufacturing, digital infrastructure, machine learning and ai, and even new business models that haven’t fully emerged yet.  Furthermore, emerging technologies and subsequent new industries will require expanded knowledge and skill profiles from the workforce.  Metro Denver’s efforts within the ASCEND Engine are a quintessential example as we look to establish Colorado as ground zero for innovation in advanced sensing and computation fields, critical aspects of observing, predicting, mitigating and preventing issues from forest fires to water scarcity. 

Data-Driven Talent Strategy 
Supporting this work is Metro Denver EDC’s in-house team of economists, who provide research, data, and workforce intelligence to partners across the region. This includes labor market analysis, occupational trends, wage data, and talent availability insights that inform workforce providers, existing businesses, and companies considering investment in the Front Range. 

These insights help workforce partners think strategically about future demand, help employers understand regional competitiveness, and strengthen Metro Denver EDC’s ability to confidently market the region to global site selectors and corporate decision-makers. 

Selling the Region Through Talent
Ultimately, workforce development is about competitiveness. A deep, adaptable talent base allows Metro Denver EDC to tell a compelling story to companies around the world.  We aspire to brand Colorado’s Front Range as a region rooted not just in quality of life or location, but in people. By convening partners, elevating data, and reinforcing alignment between educators and industry, Metro Denver EDC helps ensure the Front Range is not only attracting jobs, but sustaining them for the long term. 

Workforce may be one leg of the stool, but it’s the one that keeps the entire economic development strategy standing strong.