A collaboration between the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce and the Mesa County Workforce Center was recognized by the Colorado Workforce Development Council and Colorado Department of Labor with a special recognition award for Excellence in Apprenticeships. Through a collaborative, the organizations have teamed up to tackle workforce development needs in Mesa County. The…
It’s full steam ahead for our 11 YEA! student who, within just a couple of months, are already well on their way to becoming the CEO’s of their own companies! Over the course of the last month, our young entrepreneurs have taken a deep dive in creating a business plan and finalized their business ideas….
Last month a new class of 11 young entrepreneurs, ranging in age from 11-18 years old, began their journey to become CEOs of their very own companies. We would like to recognize this year’s YEA! class and future CEOs: Lillian Bittle (Home Schooled) Toly Chinn (Redlands Middle School) Astreae White-Flint (Fruita 8-9) Samuel Grover (Central…
As employers struggle to recruit, retain and train the workforce they need for today, many of them are also looking at the need to develop a talent pipeline. The demographics of the overall workforce will force businesses to be more creative and collaborative in developing our local talent. In Mesa County we already have a…
The Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce will kick off its Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) on Tuesday, October 9th with 10 students ranging in age from 11- 18 years old, with a keen drive to launch and run their own, real businesses. The after-school enrichment program attracts the best and brightest students who will receive…
Mesa County became the first county in the state of Colorado to be certified a Work Ready Community by utilizing the Work Keys Assessment tool to determine the skill levels of our emerging and transitioning workforce along with our unemployed. This certification needs to be reapplied for every two years and we now need…
September is national Workforce Month and to celebrate, workforce partners throughout Mesa County will be hosting a Workforce Week. This week will highlight the innovative workforce development programs throughout Mesa County that are the result of the collaborative efforts of the Mesa County Workforce Center, School District 51, the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce,…
We are all about to get inundated with commercials in the media, mailers on our doorsteps and robocalls about the various qualifications and worthiness of candidates seeking public office. A key characteristic that I think we all look for in these candidates is that they are knowledgeable leaders. . . folks that are “in it”…
The Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce is currently look for middle and high school students who have a passion for ideas and creativity, for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, (YEA!). The program is entering its sixth year, after helping over 50 students launch their own businesses. YEA! is a 28-week academic program, meeting from early…
The Chamber recently conducted an online survey about internship programs in the hopes of improving the usage and value of programs for employers and students. Over two hundred people, which represents over 14% of those invited, took the time to respond. Shown below are some highlights. Over 60 % of respondents have utilized interns as…