The Colorado Mesa University (CMU) Montrose Campus welcomed a group of regional workforce development leaders from around Colorado on Wednesday, June 18, for a tour organized by the Colorado Rural Workforce Consortium (CRWC). Hosted by Brigitte Sundermann, CMU’s vice president of technical education and workforce development, the event showcased CMU’s regional role in addressing Colorado’s rural workforce needs through radically affordable education and industry-aligned programs.
The tour, held at CMU's Montrose Campus, brought together consortium staff, local elected officials, educators, labor union representatives and business leaders to explore how CMU’s programs support the CRWC’s mission to connect job seekers and employers across rural counties.
Organized by Community Engagement Manager for CRWC Lindsay Bullock, participants included Director of CRWC Suzie Miller, Fremont County Commissioner Debbie Bell, Alamosa County Commissioner Vern Heersink, Colorado State University’s Inger Johnson, Trinidad State College’s Nicole Shannon, State Library’s Polly Gallagher, Colorado Rural Water Association’s Kewanna Binder, IBEW Local #12’s Dan Kraus and business representatives Sabrina Becker, Regana Davis, Tony Lugard and Kristy Satterly.
The CMU Mobile Learning Lab for welding was the highlight of the tour, demonstrating CMU’s ability to deliver workforce training directly to businesses and high schools in small or rural communities. Consortium member and IBEW union leader Dan Kraus expressed enthusiasm for the program and mobile facility because of the potential to support small businesses and those seeking to scale their job skills without having to leave the job site or workplace.
"Giving those people in the rural communities the opportunity to understand the value of the trades and the availability that you guys take to them mobilely is endless," Kraus shared.
In addition to the Mobile Learning Lab, the tour highlighted the Montrose Campus’s contributions to workforce development, particularly in high-demand fields like nursing, business, manufacturing, welding and education. With its co-location at the Montrose Regional Library, the campus offers associate of arts degrees, bachelor’s degree completion tracks, career and technical education and general education courses designed for non-traditional students balancing work and family. Nursing programs, accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, address rural healthcare shortages, while business and education tracks prepare graduates for local economies.
“This tour was an opportunity to show how CMU Montrose empowers people in our community to chart a better life through education and job skills acquisition while meeting the needs of local employers,” said Sundermann, who emphasized the campus’s flexible scheduling, including evening and daytime classes. “By partnering with the CRWC, we’re building pathways to meaningful lives right here on the Western Slope.”
The CRWC, a key player in Colorado’s workforce system, supports job seekers with free career services and helps businesses access skilled talent through workforce centers in ten rural sub-areas, including the Western region encompassing Montrose. The consortium’s collaboration with educational institutions like CMU aligns with its 2024-2027 regional plan, which prioritizes training in healthcare, manufacturing and other critical sectors.
Participants toured campus facilities, engaged in discussions about potential partnerships and explored how Montrose’s programs complement CRWC initiatives, such as library-based career services and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act programs for youth and veterans. The presence of labor union leaders like Kraus sparked conversations about technical training, including CMU Tech’s programs in Grand Junction and Montrose, which Sundermann oversees.
The tour comes at a pivotal time for rural Colorado, where workforce challenges like broadband access and industry transitions demand innovative solutions. CMU’s Montrose Campus, serving as a hub for 14 Western Slope counties, has seen growing enrollment. Its partnership with the Montrose Regional Library enhances access to education and aligns with CRWC’s efforts to deliver career services in underserved areas.
“Bringing together these stakeholders strengthens our shared commitment to rural prosperity. Our students are the future of this region’s workforce," noted Steven Metheny, director of the Montrose Campus.
For more information about CMU Montrose programs, contact the campus at (970) 249-7009 or [email protected]. To learn more about CRWC initiatives, visit crwc.colorado.gov.
