Workforce & Demographics

Channeling talent throughout every industry

City life among the mountains and a competitive cost of living appeal to Colorado Springs job seekers and career builders. This exceptional quality of life makes it easy for businesses to recruit and retain talent.

Young professionals are a large component of the Colorado Springs workforce. The median age of residents is 34. An increasing number of millennials are choosing Colorado Springs as a place for opportunity, according to the Brookings Institution.

Colorado Springs is among the most educated cities in the U.S. More than 38% of the population has earned a bachelor’s degree or greater degree – 6% more than the national average.

Nearly a dozen higher education institutions produce steadfast, savvy, and energetic professionals, many of whom remain local after graduation. They help make up the country’s most confident workforce. Developed by LinkedIn, the Workforce Confidence Index looks at job security, personal finances, and career outlook.

Top-notch talent exists among trades and tech. Lockheed Martin, Bal Seal, and Philips leverage local skilled workers as they move from assembly line to market. Hewlett Packard, Oracle and 140+ tech companies operate in Colorado Springs, a CompTIA top-20 tech city for IT jobs.

New Horizons for innovative talent

Almost a dozen colleges and universities make up higher education in Colorado Springs. Among them, the U.S. Air Force Academy and Colorado College, U.S. News & World Report’s third-most innovative school.

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs houses top-ranked colleges for business and nursing. Recently, the college established a cybersecurity curriculum with the National Cybersecurity Center. In total, five Colorado Springs colleges are certified by the National Security Agency as Centers of Academic Excellence.

Pikes Peak State College and Colorado Technical University promote workforce-ready students with degrees in business, healthcare, trades, technology and other areas of expertise.

Diverse Skill sets

Colorado Springs is home to five military installations, and servicepersons add distinctive diversity to the local workforce. More than 60,000 veterans reside in the area, with an average of 350+ military separations per month. Many choose to stay and pursue second careers in Colorado Springs, while those stationed at local installations in the past often return. Both contribute unique characteristics – disciplined, skilled, and a strong work ethic.

Responsive workforce development programs for every challenge

When it’s time to train or tune-up skills, Colorado Springs employers tap into the Pikes Peak Workforce Center. Companies may work with the center to develop customized training, or use existing programs for on-the-job, new employee, or transitional training. Grants and funding are available to help offset training costs.

Part of the Colorado Workforce Development Council, the center also offers hiring events, pre-employment screening assessments, and labor market information.

Job training support programs are also available through the State of Colorado.

Find Your COS

The challenge to attract skilled talent to match a local market’s industry needs is not unique to our region. All thriving local economies are competing for talent. Our initiatives will support our region’s businesses and increase community competitiveness. The more connected talent feels within their company, industry, and community, the more likely they are to build their professional and personal lives here, providing employers with skilled and committed talent.

In 2022, the Chamber & EDC launched Find Your COS (pronounced “cause”) a suite of talent initiatives to help address one of the greatest needs of existing businesses and businesses seeking to expand or relocate here. Find Your COS includes a suite of programs to help various talent sectors engage with key industries and the local community, helping them broaden both careers and personal lives here.

We’re proud to share our first two initiatives:

Hello Colorado Springs, a wraparound program to encourage interns to fall in love with both the company and Colorado Springs while interning during the summer. The Hello Colorado Springs pilot focused on interns in the aerospace and defense, cybersecurity, and software/tech industries offering social and professional engagements outside of their work hours. It provided the cohort with a housing solution for affordability and community.

Connect Colorado Springs, a concierge program available to Chamber & EDC member businesses to help them sell the region to potential, new-to-market candidates. A local volunteer will be matched to the candidate based on like interests and demographics to share relocation tips, neighborhood information, childcare options, recreation ideas, and possibly an in-person tour catered to their specific questions and needs. Wraparound services will include helping the candidates find their people based on common interests, such as activities, faith community, and so forth.