Local Solutions, National Attention: Grand Junction Chamber Welcomes the U.S. Department of Labor

Earlier this summer, the U.S. Department of Labor contacted the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce because of the Chamber’s work championing industry-led solutions to one of the most pressing challenges facing employers today: attracting, developing, and retaining skilled talent.

Through initiatives like West Slope Works, apprenticeship expansion, sector partnerships, and the intentional convening of employers, educators, workforce professionals, and policymakers, the Chamber has helped cultivate a workforce ecosystem that is increasingly being recognized beyond Mesa County. Seeking to better understand these efforts and how they align with federal workforce priorities, Department leaders asked the Chamber to convene a roundtable discussion with the partners and employers helping drive this work forward.

This week, that conversation came to Grand Junction.

National Director of Workforce Initiatives Troy Selberg and Regional Representatives Lauren Casper and Tina Francone joined local employers, workforce professionals, educators, and elected officials for an intimate roundtable discussion focused on the future of work in Western Colorado. Their purpose was simple: to listen, learn, and better understand how communities like ours are building solutions from the ground up.

The conversation brought together more than twenty industry leaders alongside Representative Rick Taggart, Senator Janice Rich, Grand Junction Mayor Laura Lutz, Mesa County Commissioner Bobbie Daniel, leaders from Mesa County Valley School District 51 and CMU Tech, representatives from the Mesa County Workforce Center, and many of the employers shaping our regional economy every day.

From aviation and healthcare to manufacturing, utilities, technology, construction, and professional services, participants represented an extraordinary cross-section of Mesa County’s economy. Together, they painted a clear picture: workforce development cannot belong to any single institution. It succeeds only when employers, educators, policymakers, and workforce partners move in the same direction.

That spirit of alignment was a recurring theme throughout the afternoon. Workforce development in Mesa County is not the responsibility of one organization. It is an ecosystem built intentionally over many years, driven by employers and supported by partners committed to ensuring that talent pipelines reflect the needs of industry.

The Department of Labor’s visit comes at a fitting moment. The agency’s recently released strategic plan emphasizes many of the same priorities our community has embraced: expanding pathways into high-quality careers, strengthening workforce partnerships, increasing access to apprenticeships and work-based learning opportunities, and ensuring federal investments reach the communities and industries that need them most.

Here in Mesa County, those priorities are already taking shape.

CMU Tech now works with more than 175 business partners to ensure programs remain relevant to industry needs while expanding opportunities in high-demand sectors, including aviation maintenance.

Community Hospital highlighted innovative partnerships that expose students earlier and more often to the wide variety of careers available in healthcare, helping young people see pathways that extend well beyond the roles they may traditionally associate with a hospital. As Community Hospital CEO and Grand Junction Chamber Board Member Chris Thomas explained, “We’re very proud that we only have seven travelers out of those 1,400, which is awesome. But it’s the partnership. We’ve got to grow our own.”

Thomas emphasized that from clinical care to administration, technology, operations, and support services, early exposure helps students understand the breadth of opportunities available within healthcare while strengthening the local workforce pipeline for generations to come.

Local manufacturers and technology companies spoke candidly about the challenges of recruiting specialized talent while remaining committed to growing that talent locally. Employers from utilities, construction, and aerospace industries underscored the need for practical, industry-informed training models that prepare workers for careers essential to both our economy and our national security.

Throughout the discussion, one message emerged repeatedly: work-based learning matters.

Internships, apprenticeships, mentorship programs, career and technical education, and industry partnerships are not simply “nice-to-have” initiatives. They are foundational investments in our region’s future workforce. Yet those investments require stability and support.

As our community continues to expand these opportunities, it is critical that federal resources remain dependable and responsive to local needs. During the roundtable, Chamber President and CEO Candace Carnahan emphasized that “policy has to support the cultivation and retention of talent, and our employers must continue to inform us so that we are solution-finding for the right problems.”

Programs supported through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act help employers, schools, and workforce organizations bridge the gap between talent and opportunity. They make apprenticeships possible, reduce barriers for smaller businesses seeking to participate in workforce development efforts, and create meaningful pathways for individuals entering or reentering the labor market.

Just as importantly, conversations like this ensure that local employers continue to inform the policies and investments designed to support them. Workforce solutions are most effective when federal resources align with the realities facing businesses and communities on the ground.

That is why visits like this matter. When national leaders sit across the table from local employers, they gain something no report or data set can fully provide: a firsthand understanding of what is working, where challenges remain, and how policy decisions made in Washington ripple through communities like ours.

The day also included visits to two remarkable Grand Junction companies whose stories embody the entrepreneurial spirit of Western Colorado.

At Enstrom Candies, Department of Labor representatives saw firsthand how a fourth-generation family business balances tradition and innovation. Through investments in technology and strong partnerships with schools and workforce organizations, Enstrom Candies continues to evolve while remaining deeply rooted in the values and craftsmanship that have defined the company for generations.

DOL representatives visit Entrom Candies

The delegation also toured Innovative Textiles, a company that began with just two employees and has grown into one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of braided fishing line, producing enough product each month to wrap around the globe. Their story illustrates the power of entrepreneurship, strategic investment, and workforce innovation. Through automation, ergonomic improvements, and a commitment to transferable skills, Innovative Textiles demonstrates that world-class manufacturing can thrive far from major metropolitan centers.

Mesa County has never waited for someone else to solve its challenges. We convene. We collaborate. We listen to employers. And we build solutions together.

The Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce is grateful to Troy Selberg, Lauren Casper, and Tina Francone for taking the time to visit our community, hear directly from employers, and engage in honest conversations about the future of America’s workforce.

Because the future of work will not be shaped in Washington alone. It will be shaped in communities like ours, where partnerships are strong, employers lead the way, and people remain committed to creating opportunity for the next generation.