Jim Jones Leads CMC’s Effort to Grow Colorado’s Trades Workforce

A new statewide report outlines a pressing challenge: Colorado needs far more skilled-trade workers to meet its energy and infrastructure goals, especially in rural and mountain regions. As buildings undergo efficiency upgrades, renewable systems expand, and older trades professionals retire, communities face widening workforce gaps.

Jim Jones, Program Director of Skilled Crafts & Trades at Colorado Mountain College, has been working on the front lines of this issue. He told CPR News that employers across fields like HVAC, electrical work, carpentry, and automotive technology are struggling to find qualified workers — a demand that continues to accelerate.

Under Jones’s leadership, CMC has expanded its skilled-trades programs by 700% in just a few years. This growth reflects both student interest and regional need, with several programs filling to capacity and developing waitlists. The college’s structure allows students to train locally, reducing the need to relocate to urban centers and ensuring that rural communities retain the talent necessary for economic stability.

Jones emphasizes that the skilled trades are essential to Colorado’s future — not only for climate and energy goals, but for the day-to-day functioning of mountain towns that rely on trained professionals to keep homes, businesses, and infrastructure running.

Read the full CPR story:
https://www.cpr.org/2025/11/19/colorado-climate-workforce-report/