Issuu

STANDARD BLADE B R I G H T O N

SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1903

75cI

VOLUME 120

Issue 02

WEEK OF JANUARY 12, 2023

Climate, housing, transportation on deck for 2023

There are two job openings for every available worker

Transit-centered group hosts legislators and leaders to discuss coming year

BY JENNY BRUNDIN COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO

BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Colorado is launching a fullfrontal assault on its 38% job gap – that’s the difference between job openings and actual hires. The state is changing its approach to fill its high-demand, often better-paying jobs, targeting millions of dollars in grant opportunities for businesses to train or upskill workers. The gargantuan task means enticing many people already in the workforce into further training or education and targeting historically untapped groups with more training and education. “We need to be doing more to help connect Coloradans, our home-grown talent with skills that lead to good-paying jobs and careers,” said Gov. Jared Polis. How bad is the gap? This summer there were 208,000 job openings compared to 129,000 hires, according to the ninth annual Talent Pipeline Report, which analyzes and explains labor market information, shifts in job demand, top jobs and the state strategy to fill those jobs. The report is produced by the state agency the Colorado Workforce Development Council in partnership with a number of other state agencies. Colorado is just one of 14 states with more jobs than before the pandemic-induced recession. But it also ranks 11th in the country for the number of people voluntarily quitting their jobs.

Climate, transportation and housing all dominated the presentation at the 14th Legislative Breakfast on Jan. 5 in Broomfield. The event included seven speakers ranging from Governor Jared Polis to State Senator Faith Winter. The event, hosted at Broomfields Aloft Hotel, was sponsored by the local transit advocacy group Community Solutions. The group focuses on transportation issues in the northern Metro Denver suburbs. XcelEnergy President Robert Kennedy laid out the road map for his company to reduce its fossil fuel emissions. By 2050, the company plans to have zero carbon emissions through renewable energy sources and net-zero gas services. By that time, Kennedy said hopes are high for all cars to run on clean energy. That’s because their plan hopes one out of five cars will be electric by 2030, and all cars will be electric by 2050. Making that affordable is key. “Charging electric vehicles during our offering will cost the equivalent of $1 per gallon of gas,” he said. The plan will result in a reduction of five million tons of carbon emissions by 2030 per year. Connecting through transit

J.J. Ament, president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the importance of transportation for the region, as well as the state. Public transit plays a huge role in connecting the state, and also in keeping it competitive: public transit reduces air pollution, and low air pollution means better economic opportunities. SEE 2023, P7

It’s not just the 3.6% unemployment rate

Governor Jared Polis speaks about housing and transportation at the 2023 Legislative PHOTO BY LUKE ZARZECKI Breakfast.

LOCAL CALENDAR VOICES OBITUARIES CLASSIFIEDS LEGALS 14

LOCAL

2 • Brighton hires new 5 chief from within 6 7 • Page 2 12

REGION • Agriculture school founders honored

• Page 3

Historically Colorado has relied on importing highly educated people to fill jobs. That won’t work anymore. In-state migration is SEE OPENINGS, P8