Build Pagosa Inc

Changing Lives in Southwest Colorado

Build Pagosa is launching careers and addressing our regions' skilled-labor shortage through trainings, credentials, internships, and job placements.

The numbers tell a clear story

• In Southwest Colorado, more than half of rural high school graduates do not enroll in college directly after graduation.
• 42% of Gen Z adults are entering the trades, and construction in Archuleta County has experienced 39% GDP growth since 2017. The demand is there.
• 250+ jobs go unfilled in our region every year. Not because the work isn’t there, but because the training infrastructure isn’t.
• Credential holders earn 6.8% more in year one, but it's more than 60 miles to a training facility in our region today.

Our Programs

• Education Partnerships: We work with the high school to build and strengthen Career & Technical Education pathways, investing in teacher development, facilities, equipment and supplies across six program areas.
• Construction Bootcamp: A week-long intensive training, offered in partnership with Pueblo Community College and Pagosa Springs CDC, that gives participants the hands-on skills and industry connection needed to enter the construction workforce.
• Student Internships: We partner with industry employers to reimburse summer internship wages, making it easier for local business to hire students and for students to gain real-world experience. 
• Dental School Tuition Assistance: In partnership with Pagosa Peak Dental, we provide tuition support for attendees of the Southern Colorado Dental Assisting School, a local pathway into a higher-paying healthcare career without leaving the region.
• Industry Requested Trainings: Working directly with local employers and partners, we support trainings for needed credentials, including broadband, CDL and NCCER certifications, so workers gain qualifications tied to real, available jobs.

Regional Workforce Center

To grow our workforce as a whole, we need a Regional Workforce Center (RWC). The RWC will benefit job seekers by providing access to hands-on job training and industry-recognized credentials that lead directly to well-paying jobs. 

Students will move from coursework into paid placements, apprenticeships, and employment with local employers - building real experience while earning credentials. 

Adult learners will access industry-driven training and certification courses offered at nights and on the weekends to advance their professional opportunities. 

In a rural region where workforce shortages affect everything from housing construction to healthcare access, the RWC will serve as the region’s only multi-use, workforce-focused training hub. 

By creating clear pathways to economic mobility while reducing the need to leave the region for training, the RWC will help more residents secure stable careers with strong wages, long-term advancement opportunities, and improve the region’s long-term economic resilience.