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Colorado

Job Shortages

The tables below show the top three occupations that are projected from 2018-2028 of Colorado employers based on the level of education they require.  There is a state minimum wage of $12.32 in Colorado. The one highlighted occupation under each of the three education levels has been selected to expand on in terms of potential career advancement.

 

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Potential Career Advancement

1) Food Preparation Worker to Certified Food Manager

Food Preparation Worker Job Description: 

  • Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking 

Entry Level Requirements:  

  • Food Handler Certification – not required by Colorado state law, but employers may prefer it 
  • Obtain food handler Certification online here ($7, 2 hours); click here to take exam in Español, 普通话, 한국어, Việt, American Sign Language, Tagalog, Serbo-Croatian

 Certified Food Manager Job Description: 

  • Responsible for food safety to protect the public from foodborne illness 

Career Advancement Requirements:  

  • Pass the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) certification exam ($55) 
  • Online courses are not required, but provide knowledge for the ANSI exam

2) Bookkeeping, Accounting & Audit Clerks to Accountant & Auditor

Bookkeeping, Accounting & Audit Clerk Job Description: 

Entry Level Requirements:  

  • Certification is not required by Colorado law, but an associate’s degree is generally required
  • Accounting training programs in Colorado are listed here 

 Accountant & Auditor Job Description: 

  • Analyze financial information and prepare financial reports on activities in an organization 

Career Advancement Requirements:  

  • A Bachelor’s degree with Accounting concentration
  • At least 1 year of accounting experience 
  • Pass the CPA exam (Approx. $900 with $160 application fee)
  • Complete a written ethics exam on the Code of Professional Conduct
  • Social security number is required, but there is no citizenship or residency requirement

3) Business Operations Specialist to General & Operations Manager

Business Operations Specialist Job Description: 

  • Design and implement solutions to challenges faced in the operations of a business 

Entry Level Requirements:  

  • No licensing requirements, but employer may prefer a Bachelor’s degree 
  • Business administration degree programs in Colorado are found here 

General & Operations Manager Job Description: 

  • Manages the operations of an organization including the formulation of policies 

Career Advancement Requirements:  

  • No licensing requirements, but typically requires 5 or more years of work experience
  • Employers may prefer a graduate degree like an MBA

 

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Immigration in Colorado

The following are facts about the immigrant community in Colorado

  • Immigrants comprise 10% of the state population and 12% of the Colorado labor force
  • Top industries of immigrant employment: 
    • Construction, 57,830 workers 
    • Accommodation and Food Services, 43,333 workers 
    • Health Care and Social Assistance, 42,061 workers 
    • Manufacturing, 37,547 workers 
    • Retail trade, 34,81 workers 
  • 42,844 immigrant business owners account for 12% of all self-employed Colorado residents
  • 45% of immigrants in Colorado are naturalized and another 34% are undocumented
  • Top foreign-born countries of origin:
    • Mexico, 40% 
    • India, 5% 
    • China, 3% 
    • Vietnam, 3% 
    • Canada, 3% 
  • 10% of native-born Coloradans are children of an immigrant
  • Educational attainment of foreign-born adults in Colorado:
    • High School diploma or less – 51% 
    • More than HS diploma, less than Bachelor’s degree– 19% 
    • Bachelor’s degree or higher – 30% 

 

 

 

 

 

* Share of immigrant professionals, who are unemployed, employed at poverty-level wages in High School diploma or less jobs, or significantly underemployed in more than HS diploma, less than Bachelor’s degree jobs

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Sources

Jobs 

Projections Managing Partnership (PMP), Projections Central – State Occupational Projections, “Long Term Occupational Projection (2018-2028)”;  http://www.projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm 

Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates; https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcst.htm  

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, “Education and training assignments by detailed occupation,” 2019; https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/education-and-training-by-occupation.htm  

National Council of State Legislatures, “State Minimum Wages”, December 2020; http://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/state-minimum-wage-chart.aspx#Table 

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Economic News Release, “Employees on Nonfarm Payrolls by State, Seasonally adjusted”, November 2020; https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.t03.htm  

Potential Career Advancement 

National Conference of State Legislatures, “The National Occupational Licensing Database”, March 2020: https://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/occupational-licensing-statute-database.aspx  

Immigration 

American Immigration Council, State by State Fact Sheet, August 2020; https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/topics/state-by-state

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