On Sept. 11, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced $23 million in awards for 12 projects in ten states, including $2.7 million for Build Pagosa’s regional workforce center.
The awards were provided through EDA’s fiscal year 2025 Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance programs, which leverage existing regional assets and support the implementation of economic development strategies to support distressed communities, according to a press release from the agency.
The EDA press release specifically notes the funding for Build Pagosa is for “construction of a workforce development facility to meet local demand in the healthcare and construction industries.”
“We’re proud to have received this funding, it’s a vote of confidence in what our community has been building for years,” said Will Ridlehoover, executive director of Build Pagosa, via a press release. “Through this award, we’re nearing the finish line of our capital campaign, and building real careers right here in Pagosa.”
Build Pagosa’s regional workforce center, which the organization calls “a hands-on training facility for individuals launching careers in the skilled trades,” was the only Colorado project included in the funding.
Build Pagosa explains the center “will give job seekers access to hands-on job training and industry-recognized credentials that lead directly to better jobs. In a rural region where labor shortages affect everything from housing construction to healthcare access, the [regional workforce center] will serve as the only multi-use, workforce-focused training hub of its kind.”
With the EDA award, Build Pagosa reports it has now raised 90 percent of its $6.5 million fundraising goal for the project.
Organizers say they are in the final stretch of fundraising.
The center is slated to be constructed on the campus of Pagosa Springs High School and San Juan Mountain School, off of South 8th Street.
Formed almost a decade ago to help lessen challenges related to contractors hiring skilled local talent, Build Pagosa has worked alongside Pagosa Springs High School to invest in teacher development and improve equipment and facilities for the school’s career and technical education pathways.
Moving forward, the organization explains, it will expand that work through partnerships with the Archuleta School District, the Pagosa Springs Community Development Corporation, Pueblo Community College and regional industry partners.
For more information on the regional workforce center, visit www.buildpagosa.org or contact Build Pagosa.
>