In
recent years we've seen web conferencing, video chat with integrated calendars and
other similar technologies transforming the dynamics of today's workforce in America.
The trends of digital nomads, co-working facilities, and the Gig Economy have
emphasized the idea that work is not a place, it's a thing you do.
Since
the deployment of high-speed internet to more than 98% of American households,
coupled with the development of web-based conferencing platforms such as Zoom
and GoToMeeting, companies around the globe are re-envisioning the way they do
business and recruit new talent. Technology utilization enables
companies, regardless of their size, geographical location and operating
budget, to be more flexible when it comes to accommodating the needs of
employees. In many cases this means offering opportunities to work remotely
from a co-working space, neighborhood coffee shop or the comforts of home.
Businesses are learning take advantage of the best talent, at the best prices,
regardless of where they're physically located.
With
this newfound strategy, a large portion of younger Americans entering the
workforce today will not have to choose between a quality of life, shared
values or salary - attributes often found in rural areas like Florence and
Canon City in Fremont County, Colorado - and good paying jobs on the other side
of the country. No longer will they be obligated to pursue the fast paced,
highly stressful lifestyles of urban living with the promise of adequate
benefits. The good paying jobs are coming home, virtually anyhow.
But
this seismic shift in the way companies are doing business didn't just happen
overnight. There's much more to it. What we're seeing in Fremont County and
other rural parts of the country can be attributed to years of thoughtful
planning, public and private partnerships, precision investments and countless
hours of community collaboration - by individuals who are passionate about
redefining the way companies view the potential of America's rural workforce.
A Foundation Built to Last
In
early 2016, a small and unassuming group of techies, entrepreneurs, project
leaders and investors led by Brad
Rowland,
Jason Veatch, and other volunteers at Fremont
Economic Development Corporation, came together with the shared goal of
completely redefining what it means to be part of America's 21st-Century
workforce. With family history in rural Fremont County, they saw the potential
for positive change, especially in Cañon City. Located just 45 minutes from
Colorado Springs along the banks of the Arkansas River, Cañon City's close
proximity to the I-25 corridor, thriving tourism industry, mild weather and
palpable sense of community provided a perfect setting to challenge the status
quo.
Defined
by mono industries, dominated by Department of Corrections, the school
district, and local healthcare system, many who consider this rural enclave
home can foresee their futures at a very early age: graduate high school and
work for DOC or pursue a college degree to secure a more mainstream job with an
adequate salary, usually in a location far away. While both are respectable
career paths, the best and brightest of Fremont County are left to decide
between the communities they love and a highly stressful career. There's a
better way.
Understanding
the difficult decisions facing many people in rural communities, Rowland and his
team set out to provide a solution. When they took a serious look at their
community, they saw a long list of underutilized assets. Affordable living,
wonderful Colorado outdoor rec culture, low cost commercial spaces, high speed
internet, and the potential to grow a tech-center workforce. After numerous
meetings with Fremont Economic Development Corporation (FEDC), city officials,
local business leaders and countless whiteboard sessions and brainstorming
meetings, the formation of FEDC's TechSTART project was announced in January 2017.
"After
relocating from the bay area to rural Colorado I didn't think I could stay in
tech," said Rowland. "What I quickly learned is that many remote workers were
already here, but everyone worked from home and thought they were the only tech
person in the community. If seasoned professionals had figured this out, why
weren't we building on this trend to recruit more location neutral workers and
enable local tech entrepreneurs?"
With
an initial focus of growing and supporting local tech businesses, creating
co-working environments and coordinating meetups, the mission of TechSTART has
since expanded to include educational and mentorship programs for the students
of Fremont County and surrounding areas. TechSTART is an active partner of the scholastic internship
programs
with Cañon City and Florence high schools. Through these opportunities,
students can explore the ins and outs of tech-related professions while
accruing hours of hands-on work experience which will ultimately play a
significant role in determining their future occupations.
Following
the success of the TechSTART launch in Cañon City, Brad and his team continued
their work with FEDC in the Upper Arkansas region on numerous economic
development initiatives within the area. After proven success with a 23 suite
incubator and co-working facility in Cañon City, Emergent Campus in neighboring Florence was announced
as a new rural business style campus, with space for incubation, training,
coworking and events. Headquartered in the historic Florence High School and
erected more than 100 years ago, Emergent Campus is positioned to become the
base of operations for Colorado's innovative rural tech companies.
Empowerment Through Technology and
Collaboration
Maintaining
a competitive edge in a 21st Century economy is a top priority for the State of
Colorado. To accomplish this, the Colorado Workforce Development Council - a
public-private partnership of businesses and government at the local, regional,
and state levels - created the Sector Partnership Program to foster economic
and workforce development. With more than 750 businesses actively participating,
the state has invested in public-private partnerships targeting 14 key regions.
With
this top-down strategy, the State of Colorado has taken the necessary steps to
attract, develop and retain vibrant new industries that will fuel and give an
edge to the state's economic competitiveness for years to come. To take
advantage of Colorado's Sector Partnership Program, the TechSTART team worked
with the economic development groups in surrounding counties to investigate
formation of a rural Technology Sector Partnership.
In
early 2018, many in Colorado's vibrant tech world were surprised when TechSTART
helped earn Region 13 - which includes the Arkansas River Valley - the
distinction of being Colorado's second tech
sector partnership,
second to Denver Metro. This monumental victory was a result of significant collaboration
and months of strategic planning by the leadership teams of the organizations
involved. The sector partnership recognition by the State of Colorado not only
legitimizes the efforts of the entire region, but adds substantial weight to
the emerging nationwide trend to revitalize our rural economy.
The
development of other sector partnerships like the Upper Arkansas Health and
Wellness Partnership, Upper Arkansas Tourism & Outdoor Recreation
Partnership, Upper Arkansas Early Childhood Education and similar projects
could transform the region with the ambitious goal of creating a viable,
diversified job market and re-shore jobs to rural America.
Cultivating a Culture
Through
the progression of digitalization and automation of companies, as well as
broadband services, groups across America are working together to educate rural
communities about the overall value of empowered entrepreneurship and the
benefits of a dynamic tech-ready workforce. Those who have a vested interest in
the success of rural communities are embracing these new opportunities with the
understanding they are investing today for tomorrow's industry and generations
of talent development.
Since
the formation of both TechSTART and Emergent Campus, Brad and his team continue
to demonstrate their commitment to accomplishing this. From cultivating
goodwill and forging strategic partnerships with community stakeholders, to
providing mentorships and creating economic opportunities for young
professionals within the region, a holistic approach to empowerment is proving
to be a winning strategy, and they're just getting started. "The culture within
TechSTART lends itself to really great mutual collaborations. The more time you
spend here, the more likely new ideas and opportunities will materialize," said
Jason Veatch, site manager and program coordinator for TechSTART's Cañon City
location.
In
a tech driven world, connectivity is paramount, but like most rural
communities, the residents of Fremont County often have to make do with very
limited and unreliable broadband. A recent report by the Federal Communications
Commission
revealed that 80 percent of the 24 million American households that do not have
access to high-speed internet are in rural communities. For rural communities
to become producers in the digital economy and not just consumers, this has to
change.
Understanding
that the viability of remote work opportunities, eLearning and telehealth
programs hinge on the expansion of high-speed
internet
into rural communities, entrepreneurs at Emergent Campus launched Emergent
Wireless in the spring of 2019. As a technology neutral internet service
provider, Emergent Wireless is focused exclusively on delivering reliable,
high-speed internet to the city of Florence and surrounding communities.
Through
initiatives like these, as well as others which provide access to the same
technology, support and resources that are commonly offered by companies
headquartered in urban areas, we can level the playing field for professionals
who value a lower cost of living and a sense of community that's synonymous
with rural living. We can also provide a strategic rural workforce that
contributes to the nation's growth by providing an average of 50% lower blended
cost of operations than in metro areas, without sending jobs overseas.
Investments in Homegrown Talent
Cultivating
successful entrepreneurs from rural communities, largely written off by corporate America, requires a thoughtful approach and
constant investment. For far too long rural communities have been in the
business of exporting home-grown talent to urban areas of the country where the
values of small town America, such as innovation, integrity, and a tenacious
work ethic are highly sought after. To slow this exodus of tech savvy talent
and recruit tech driven business, TechSTART and Emergent Campus have taken a
very proactive, hands-on approach in workforce development, job creation,
industry diversification and incubating businesses to retain talent in Fremont
County in the 21st-Century market. Through this rural incubation engine, a
steady stream of new businesses like Blickel, River
Science,
and Second-61 are emerging.
The
first opportunity to support the home-grown talent of Fremont County came in
the spring of 2018. Through a collaborative effort with Canon City High School
and Fremont Campus-Pueblo Community College, TechSTART worked to provide high
school students enrolled in the Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM)
program direct support through mentorships, job shadowing and a three month
internship with local businesses.
As
a result, Cañon City High School applied for and was awarded a Pathways in
Technology Early College High Schools (P-TECH) grant, which will allow students to
continue their education debt free through an Associate's Degree. Not only is
this significant for students involved, it also earned Cañon City High School the distinct recognition of being the
first rural school in the nation to be awarded a Pathways in Technology Early
College High School (PTECH) grant.
"Collectively
our community has made tremendous progress since the inception of TechSTART and
Emergent Campus, but we must continue to make meaningful investments in programs
such as P-TECH and STEM development to maintain our competitive edge as one of
Colorado's most dynamic emerging tech sectors," said Chris Koehn, Cañon
City native and cofounder of Emergent Campus. "By doing so, we'll continue
to attract innovative entrepreneurs, create economic opportunities, drive
business engagement, and provide a prosperous future for those who consider
Fremont County home."
Then
in the fall of 2018, Florence High School was selected as the site for Dream
Big, an event that attracted more than 200 students from across the county to
learn about various forms of technology such as cybersecurity and unmanned air
systems. In addition to sponsoring the event, TechSTART also educated attendees
about their ongoing efforts to attract higher-paying, tech-related jobs to the
region.
If
there's one lesson to learn from a small and unassuming cadre of community
volunteers who have joined in the vision of redefining Colorado and America's
rural workforce, it's never underestimate the infusion of technology, community
collaboration and radical kindness.
"The
communities of rural America have surprising, untapped value to contribute to
our metro economies and advanced industries that have come to define areas like
Silicon Valley," said Rowland. "The next century of our economic growth and
competitiveness as a nation can come from mobilizing this amazing asset, while
raising the quality of life and creating opportunities for so many in our
nation's heartland."
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Kevin Mahmalji is the founder
and principal of Two Rivers
Consulting based
in Florence, Colorado. With more than 10 years of experience in public policy
advocacy, strategic communications, and nonprofit management, Kevin offers a
wide range of professional services including public relations, government
affairs, fundraising, community engagement, and more.
In his free time, Kevin likes
to give back to his community through volunteerism. He's currently
President-elect of Florence Rotary Club, Vice President of the John C. Fremont
Library District Board of Trustees, Board Member of Action 22, and an active
member of the Florence Chamber of Commerce. Most recently, Kevin was invited to
join the Steering Committee for Colorado's Rural Philanthropy Days where he
serves as the Co-chair of the Marketing Committee. He is frequently seen at or
around his co-working office at Emergent Campus in historic Florence, Colorado.