Businesses in the Pueblo community have expressed difficulties in hiring enough workers to fill positions in several industries. The non-profit SkillUp Coalition has partnered with Pueblo Community College to try and address this.
"What we're trying to do is understand what's happening in the Pueblo market, what's happening as far as employment goes. What do employers need, where are employees coming from, and really figure out a way to bring talent here, said Director of Partnerships at SkillUp Lauren Dietz.
SkillUp has received a grant from the state of Colorado to work with businesses to help them highlight resources available for workers, as well as enticing a younger workforce to come to Pueblo.
"A lot of where Skill Up Coalition focuses is on jobs that are middle-of-the-road jobs. So not entry-level jobs, but not jobs where you need a 2 or 4-year degree," said Dietz.
"And if there are some upscaling, or re-skilling, or re-tooling that's necessary, then we're right there to provide that additional support," said President of Pueblo Community College Patty Erjavec.
Andrew Lang is the Chief Operating Officer at TR Toppings, a company that sells blended and crushed candies to ice cream stores around the globe. He says his company is looking to expand its factory in Pueblo.
"We've got a lot of great employees, it's a good place to do business in general, but when you're trying to grow and add new employees, it's challenging," said Lang. "The workforce in our community is a challenge".
SkillUp is looking to hear from local businesses in the community. You can reach out using this link.
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