Aligning Academic Programs with Workforce Realities

Colorado Mountain College’s Labor-Market Driven Philosophy

At Colorado Mountain College, we design academic programs with a clear purpose: to support economic mobility for our students and a strong return on investment for our communities and taxpayers. Rooted in CMC’s Mountain Futures Strategic Plan, our approach ensures that every degree, certificate, and training pathway is tied to real-world workforce needs and opportunities—especially within the regions we serve.  

A Philosophy Grounded in Economic Mobility

CMC is a labor-market aware institution, grounding our commitment to social and economic mobility for students with programming responsive to labor market needs and demands.  

This means we apply rigorous, data-informed criteria to the development and review of all academic offerings. Specifically, we evaluate the social and economic vitality of programs against several key benchmarks, using a program health and vitality score, including but not limited to: 

  • Workforce Demand: We assess current and projected job demand for the field within CMC’s district. Programs must align with regional labor market needs to ensure our students are career-ready upon graduation.  
  • Sustained Student Demand: We analyze enrollment trends and student interest to confirm ongoing demand for each program. This ensures we offer programs that students value and complete.  
    • Only degree programs that meet these criteria are recommended for approval or expansion.  
    • Each benchmark is reviewed annually to ensure programs remain aligned with student success and regional workforce needs. 

Responsive and Responsible Program Stewardship

We don’t just create new programs—we change with the times. If a program falls below one or more of our benchmarks, CMC will investigate the cause and, if feasible, implement improvements. If a program underperforms across two or more areas, the college will explore restructuring or phasing it out. This disciplined approach ensures that our finite institutional resources are invested in programs that deliver strong job outcomes and meet employer demand. 

Innovation in Practice

This approach is more than a framework—it’s a practice. From launching new degrees in fast-growing health fields to scaling certificate programs in high-demand trades, CMC is continually adapting to the needs of our students and the economies they serve. We welcome collaboration with other institutions and partners exploring similar outcomes-based strategies. 

Learn More

We're happy to share our processes, tools, and insights with peers in higher education. 

  • Academic program development & evaluation: Kathryn Regjo, PhD, Vice President for Academic Affairs, kregjo@coloradomtn.edu
  • Labor market & student outcome data: Zachary Haberler, PhD, Manager of Strategic Analytics , zjhaberler@coloradomtn.edu
  • Strategic planning & board policy alignment: Yesenia Silva Estrada, Vice President of Planning and Chief of Staff, ysilvaestrada@coloradomtn.edu