TradeSTART

What is FEDC TradeSTART?

FEDC TradeSTART connects people, employers, educators, and workforce partners to build a stronger skilled-trades workforce in Fremont County and rural Colorado. Through hands-on, job-specific training, internships, apprenticeships, and industry partnerships, TradeSTART creates direct pathways into high-demand careers while helping local businesses fill critical workforce gaps.

The program supports careers and businesses in construction, electrical, plumbing, welding, machining, CDL, manufacturing, and other trades needed by the community. In addition to preparing workers for quality careers, TradeSTART is designed to help existing trades-based businesses expand, attract new trades businesses to the region, and support business succession so established companies do not close when owners retire.

By strengthening the local talent pipeline and supporting the businesses that employ skilled tradespeople, TradeSTART helps advance housing, business growth, job creation, and long-term rural economic prosperity.

Key Program Areas

Workforce Pipeline Development

FEDC TradeSTART builds a stronger pipeline of skilled, job-ready workers for high-demand trades. By connecting residents to hands-on training, internships, apprenticeships, and employer-led learning, the program helps address the labor shortages limiting business growth, housing development, and rural economic prosperity.

Business Growth & Expansion

A reliable trades workforce helps existing businesses take on more work, expand services, hire with confidence, and compete for larger projects. FEDC TradeSTART supports local employers by aligning workforce development with real business needs and helping remove one of the biggest barriers to growth: finding qualified workers.

Business Attraction & Investment

Communities with available skilled labor are better positioned to attract new employers and investment. FEDC TradeSTART strengthens Fremont County’s competitiveness by creating the workforce infrastructure trades-based companies need when deciding where to locate, expand, or invest.

Business Succession & Retention

Many trades businesses are at risk of closing when owners retire or cannot find trained workers or future operators. FEDC TradeSTART supports long-term business continuity by helping develop the next generation of skilled employees, supervisors, entrepreneurs, and potential business owners.

Career Access & Awareness

FEDC TradeSTART increases awareness of the wages, stability, creativity, and advancement opportunities available in the professional trades. The program creates pathways for students, underemployed residents, veterans, justice-involved individuals, women, career changers, and others seeking meaningful, sustainable careers.

Employer-Aligned Training & Partnerships

FEDC TradeSTART brings together employers, school districts, higher education, workforce partners, government agencies, and industry professionals to design training around real-world needs. The program emphasizes technical skills, workplace readiness, mentorship, credentials, and continuous feedback to keep training relevant and sustainable.

Benefits of TradeSTART

FEDC TradeSTART strengthens Fremont County and Colorado’s rural economy by building the skilled-trades workforce and business support system needed for long-term growth.

Grow the Local Workforce: Build a stronger pipeline of trained, job-ready workers for high-demand trades such as construction, electrical, plumbing, welding, machining, CDL, mining, manufacturing, and related industries.
Support Business Growth: Help existing trades-based businesses expand services, take on more work, hire with confidence, and compete for larger projects by addressing one of their biggest barriers: skilled labor.
Attract New Businesses & Investment: Position Fremont County as a place where trades-based businesses can start, relocate, invest, and grow because the workforce and training partnerships are in place.
Keep Local Businesses Open: Support business succession by developing the next generation of skilled workers, supervisors, entrepreneurs, and potential owners so established businesses are not lost when current owners retire.
Create Stronger Career Pathways: Give students, underemployed residents, veterans, justice-involved individuals, women, career changers, and other job seekers a clearer path into stable, good-paying careers close to home.
Strengthen Housing, Infrastructure & Rural Prosperity: Increase the local skilled labor needed to support housing, commercial development, infrastructure, and essential community needs while keeping more wages, talent, and investment circulating in Fremont County and Colorado.

Testimonials

"The school district is filled with many wonderful people, but we need the support of community partnerships to really showcase the power and potential of a bright future here in Fremont County. FEDC is helping us to do that and I am thankful. The feedback thus far has been incredibly strong. You guys did that. Kudos!"

Adam Hartmann – Superintendent of Schools, Cañon City Schools

“I just wanted to tell you how incredible yesterday was! I truly believe that students will be talking about the event 10+ years from now or even longer. It was amazing how the students were captivated. Thank you for showing them the impact of the industry. It is quite impressive what we can do when we all come together."

Marlo Asher – Director of Operations, Careers in Construction Colorado

"OPERATION SUDDEN IMPACT was an impressive event. I just wanted to say thank you for all that you do for our community, especially our students. I know how difficult planning events like these are, so thank you for all of your hard work. Thank you Rob and FEDC!"

Tami Gunkel – SWAP Coordinator, Canon City Schools

"Today at the assembly it was actually really cool! They landed a helicopter on the field, we could go take pictures and sit in it and they had the K-9 with the police department do a demonstration which was really fun to see. The surprise was a shed. They built it from the ground up in under 20 minutes and it is going to be used at the school too! There were lots of great things! it was wayyy bigger than i expected it to be!"

CCHS Student

Grants & Projects

Project Constellation – $100k grant
Colorado and Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) Direct Effect- $15,000: CHFA’s Direct Effect Award helped launch FEDC TradeSTART, an initiative aiming to address three critical issues: the housing shortage, lack of skilled workers, and limited economic opportunities in Fremont County, with a primary focus on serving economically distressed and underserved individuals.
USDA Fremont Skills Grant
DOL Advanced Manu
Networking Event Amplify Your Voice PBT

In 2020, the Fremont County School districts (Cañon City, Florence, and Cotopaxi) and Pueblo Community College’s Fremont Campus (PCC) formed a collaborative: The Fremont Multidistrict Initiative (FMI). The goal of this collaboration is to reinvent the way schools in the region can cooperatively use resources and sustainably provide an outstanding education for rural students.

Our mission is to prepare Fremont County Students for success in life by collaboratively providing all students a quality education and opportunities to develop relevant workplace skills.

FMI has 3 categories of service: FMI assures that no matter where a student lives in Fremont County, they will have access to high-value credentials, college credit, and hands-on learning in real job settings that can save them time, money, and build skills towards a prosperous future.

1. Develop and maintain systems for cross- district collaboration so that students can maximize their opportunities for accessing high-value pathways.
2. Expand and develop work-based learning experiences across the WBL continuum.
3. Align the sequencing of coursework into new or improved high-demand pathways with concurrent enrollment and industry credentials on a regional scale.

FMI launched Summer Institute in 2024 to give students hands-on, project-based opportunities to explore local career pathways. Every June, Summer Institute offers a week-long career exploration experience, with each day focused on a different industry sector. As part of the week, students participate in dedicated days focused on skilled trades, public works, and infrastructure, giving them direct exposure to the industries that build, maintain, and support our communities.

Through hands-on activities, site visits, demonstrations, and conversations with local industry partners, students experience how trades skills are used in real workplaces and learn about career opportunities in areas such as construction, manufacturing, welding, fabrication, equipment operation, utilities, infrastructure, and public works.

Each day is designed to be small and interactive, allowing students to ask questions, explore career interests, and better understand the training pathways available through their school, FMI, and local partners.

This September 11, 2025 event at Cañon City High School connected students with real-world career opportunities, hands-on demonstrations, and the industries that keep our region, state and country thriving.

The trades industry struggles to find individuals to carry on the workmanship and talent of the trades. There is not only a local shortage, but also a nationwide shortage of people entering the trades. Our goal is to educate and expose students to career options that might not otherwise be known.

Operation Sudden Impact is a career readiness interactive experience—a chance for students to discover opportunities right here in Fremont County and to begin connecting their education to their future.

The goal of this event was to spark curiosity, encourage career exploration, and create memorable experiences for students. Students:

Saw live demonstrations from local industries (construction, manufacturing, public service, automotive and technology/ professional services)
Interacted directly with professionals and the tools of their trade in the field
Learned about career pathways that may not require a four-year degree, but still provide stability, advancement, and good wages
Built connections with community leaders who want to invest in students’ futures

PaICE is a regional program that originated at CCHS (Canon City High School) 8 years ago and has since expanded to FJSHS (Florence Junior Senior High School) and CHS (Cotopaxi High School).

This program, with the help of many professionals in our community, offers valuable work experiences for local students.

Over the years, PaICE has grown from first having 35 participating students and 50 business partners to last year hosting 250 students and just over 200 business partners.

PaICE hosts two employer fairs per year open to all Fremont County businesses and students.

The Professional and Internship Community Experience School-to-Career Program provides the opportunity for every high school student to gain first-hand experience in their personal career choice through a wide variety of partnerships with businesses, professionals & agencies in the Fremont County Area.

Under the “PaICE Umbrella” there are 2 options for participation in the PaICE Program. Students can participate as either an Intern or Work-Study student.