Today, Colorado lawmakers introduced bipartisan legislation that could fundamentally reshape how our state connects Coloradans to education, training, and economic opportunity. House Bill 26-1317 — Creating a Unified System of Postsecondary Talent Development — is, at its core, a systems redesign bill.
It didn't arrive without a runway. Last May, Governor Polis signed Executive Order D 2025-006, directing state agencies to analyze Colorado's postsecondary landscape and develop recommendations for change. That work culminated in a report released December 10, recommending that higher education and workforce development be unified under a single state department. Today's bill is the legislative expression of those recommendations.
The problem it addresses is real. More than 20 divisions, offices, and units across seven state agencies deliver 110 programs meant to help Coloradans access postsecondary education, training, and employment — yet they rarely share infrastructure, data systems, or a common front door. Nearly three in four job openings in the next six years will require some postsecondary credential, but only about a third of Colorado's class of 2016 earned one within six years of graduation. That gap isn't a pipeline problem alone. It's a system design problem.
The bill creates a 26-member Transition Advisory Committee (TAC) tasked with delivering structural recommendations by November 30 — on governance, alignment, technology, and what it would mean to have a purpose-built agency serving every Coloradan.
HB26-1317 is sponsored by Speaker McCluskie, Rep. Taggart, Sen. Bridges, and Sen. Frizell.
"For too long, Colorado has had a siloed approach to connecting workers and students with good-paying, in-demand jobs. Today, we're unveiling a plan to create a unified department that seamlessly supports Coloradans from early learning to career readiness. Democrats and Republicans are coming together to reimagine talent pipelines to jumpstart the creation of a one-stop-shop for job seekers and students." — Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon
"My road to higher education was anything but traditional, and flexible pathways to in-demand careers are what students like me need to prepare for life after graduation. The new unified department will be a one-stop shop for students like me to find specialized, career-focused pathways that will lead to good-paying jobs." — Saige Chapin, student, Red Rocks Community College
"Too many Colorado learners are navigating a system that wasn't designed with them in mind. We've made real progress over the last decade, expanding pathways and connecting education and training to careers, but the work isn't done. When our education and workforce systems are fragmented, learners and employers pay the price. Colorado has the momentum, the talent, and the foundation to become a national model for what it looks like when those systems truly work together for people." — Shannon Nicholas, Senior Vice President, Impact, Colorado Succeeds.
Colorado Succeeds published a full breakdown of the bill on their blog here.
A bill is just a starting point. The TAC process, the transition plan, and the 2027 legislative session will determine whether this moment becomes a movement.
The Rise Report will be here for all of it.
What I'm Reading: Two pieces out this week make a complementary case: America doesn't have a talent shortage so much as a pathway shortage — and the difference matters.
On the national level, there are roughly 1.7 million more skilled-trade openings each year than trained workers to fill them. The problem isn't that CTE and apprenticeships don't work — the data shows they do. The problem is that the systems connecting high schools, community colleges, and employers have never been built with the coherence or urgency they require. Too many young people leave high school without a clear next step, not because options don't exist, but because no one has connected the dots. Read the Forbes piece here.
Zoom into Colorado and the story gets tangible fast. Welding programs are full and employers are still calling for more. Dental hygiene seats are oversubscribed before a class has finished. Pharmacy programs are racing to fill gaps in communities where pharmacies have had to share staff to stay open. The programs are working — what's missing is the scale and system design to meet the moment. Read the Denver Gazette piece here.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
Higher Education Accreditation: Last month, the U.S. Department of Education issued a proposed rule aimed at eliminating the use of the term "regional" by accrediting agencies, institutions, and states. Though the regional/national distinction was formally removed from federal regulations in 2019, the continued use of "regionally accredited" has contributed to confusion around credit transfer and, in some cases, barriers to professional licensure. The rule is part of a broader accreditation reform push by the Trump Administration, which also issued a separate rule to reduce barriers for new accrediting agencies and announced the creation of an Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization (AIM) negotiated rulemaking committee convening in April and May. Public comments are due March 19 at regulations.gov.
The National Skills Coalition launched A New Promise of Work, a national initiative aimed at developing a forward-looking workforce policy agenda to be released in 2027. The effort convenes a 34-member Advisory Council of cross-sector leaders – spanning labor, higher education, business, and community organizations – to shape recommendations grounded in on-the-ground experience from both urban and rural communities. The initiative’s central premise is worth noting: that workforce development should be treated as a first-choice investment in people and the economy, not a remedial system for those who need a second chance. Learn more at the A New Promise of Work initiative site.
Workforce Pell: In his latest edition of Workforce Pell Watch (subscribe here), Wesley Whistle with New America has detailed a 50-state scan of how states are defining ‘high-skill, high-wage’ in consideration of the new regulations for the federal Workforce Pell program. The analysis drafted by Braden Gates explores how these varied state definitions could shape Workforce Pell program approval, student success, and accountability at the federal level. Read it here.
FROM THE FIELD
The Rise Report welcomes updates from our colleagues across Colorado. Think of this as your one-stop-shop for conference updates, new research + reports, job postings, and career moves.
Dr. Becky Takeda Tinker, CSU Global’s founding president will transition into a new leadership role as special assistant to the chancellor, continuing to support the CSU System with her expertise in online higher education. Dr. Audra Spicer will serve as interim president of Colorado State University Global as the Board conducts a search for a permanent president. Congratulations Becky and Audra!
The Attainment Network has named two new Program Coordinators, Emily Chatburn joins to support programs across the organization’s priorities, bringing a background in education and community engagement. Wes DeVaul joins as Program Coordinator for the San Luis Valley, bringing deep regional roots and experience with program coordination, partnerships, and operations.
Annelies Goger joined UpSkill as the Director of Research after a seven-year stint as a Rubenstein Fellow at Brookings Institution. Annelies has worked on issues including apprenticeship scaling, skills-based talent practices, and labor and education data transformation.
Mark Your Calendar: The Attainment Network, Peak Education, the Business & Education Alliance, and CEEMI are co-hosting the 2026 Career-Connected L/Earning Conference on October 29-30 at the Antlers Hotel in Colorado Springs — a working convening focused on building capacity among education, workforce, employer, and policy leaders to design career pathways that deliver economic mobility. Proposals to present are due March 31; registration details here.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Rise Report launched five issues ago with the belief that the Colorado postsecondary and workforce ecosystem was at an inflection point.
Today felt like evidence of that.
I will keep writing, tracking, and sharing what’s emerging across the state.
As always — thanks for being part of this conversation.
With gratitude,
Alison