Our Vision
The vision of the Office of Industry Partnerships is that all Colorado postsecondary students will engage in a meaningful workplace education component during their academic experience. As a result, Colorado industries will vie for our students as the best prepared candidates in the country.
Our Mission
Within the Colorado Department of Higher Education, we focus on how higher education and industry collaborate for mutual benefit. We work to integrate opportunities for Colorado students so they develop workplace skills and competencies that will impact our economic, social, cultural and community enrichment of Colorado and the region.
Our Purpose
We advocate for the creation and growth of a wide-ranging spectrum of relationships among industry partners, higher education institutions and student stakeholders. We promote and encourage practical workplace experiences like student internships, cooperative education and apprenticeships that complement academic programming.
At the direction of our Executive Director, Dr. Angie Paccione, we serve as a resource and trusted colleague with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Office of the Future of Work, Colorado Workforce Development Council, Office of Economic Development and International Trade, Business Experiential Learning Commission and other state government and non-government organizations.
The Office of Industry Partnerships focuses on four primary areas:
- Provide easy access to information so students can decide which higher education institution best fits their needs based on industry partnerships and the companies that engage in workplace opportunities as part of each academic discipline.
- Convene students participating in career-connected collegiate experiences (work-based learning) with our industries for feedback and best practices for future programming.
- Create a vehicle/platform to facilitate a statewide campaign to bring awareness to our students and encourage participation in these partnerships with industry.
- Our goal is to involve subject matter experts from both higher education faculty and industry to inform and influence curriculum where appropriate.
- If you have an industry partnership to share/add to the map below, please contact Beverly.Jones@dhe.state.co.us.
- Highlight and celebrate successful industry partnerships with our higher education institutions that have created practical workplace opportunities for our students.
- Provide opportunities to differentiate and maximize university to industry collaboration.
- Engage business partners at multiple levels including opportunities for apprenticeships, internships, recruitment and innovation.
- Provide resources for developing work-based learning experiences for every academic discipline
- Develop and expand new industry partnerships.
- Convene opportunities to work with our universities at scale, rather than each one individually.
- Provide a single point of contact for collaborating with government agencies in exploring new partnerships and student experiences.
- Solicit feedback from our industry partners that might inform and shape current and future curriculum at our institutions of higher education.
- In partnership with other state government agencies and community partners, increase awareness of the need for regional involvement and engagement in the creation of career-connected professional experiences.
- Support statewide policy that aids in erasing the equity gap and advancing educational attainment.
- Enhance connections between Colorado businesses and universities.
- Convene forums for partnership-specific development work as well as cross partnership learning and sharing.
