On the last day of Workforce Development Month, the CWDC is pleased to announce the publication of the 2020 Colorado Talent Equity Agenda.
The Talent Equity Agenda makes the case for targeting resources, raising awareness, and accelerating shared strategies to close racial economic disparities in the state and measure the results.
At the January 2020 meeting, the CWDC voted to adopt values, including equity, agility, and integration as guidelines for how we do our work together.Equity points to the phrase “every Coloradan,” recognizing the data points tell different stories when we dig into subsets and groups. The data from past Talent Pipeline Reports have highlighted disparities, including a significant difference in the unemployment rate for Black and white Coloradans.
The Prosperity Now Scorecard ranks Colorado 12th nationally on overall prosperity of the state’s residents, yet at the same time ranks Colorado 37th when it comes to racial disparities between white residents and residents of color.
This gap has significant implications and spotlights a critical need to strengthen how we educate, train, hire, and promote our current workforce. So long as these disparities exist within our talent pipeline, they undercut our economic competitiveness and undermine our goal of a state that works for all Coloradans.
The CWDC convened partners in July to discuss the 2020 Talent Equity Agenda. The meetings included a review of the data related to existing racial equity gaps in the statewide talent pipeline; the selection of areas of focus; and the identification of strategies to address, track, and measure progress over the next year.
A draft was posted for public comment in August, and three town hall meetings were held to gather additional input. Thank you to all of the individuals and organizations who contributed to the development of the 2020 Colorado Talent Equity Agenda.
The resulting document published today identifies steps we can take to work toward the goal of a Colorado economy that works for all.