Business View Magazine - November 2016

126 Business View Magazine - November 2016 One of GJEP’s important partners in the area of work- force development is Colorado Mesa University. “As we see industries grow that have very specific workforce needs, President Foster and his trustees have stood up new programs to address those needs – whether it is a certificate program, or an Associate’s degree, a Bachelors degree, or a Masters degree, they have worked with us,” says Pollard. “A couple of years back, for example, the construction industry was booming, and we had a lot of individuals doing manual labor, but there has been, nationally, a real reduction in the num- ber of construction managers. So, CMU saw this need and put together a construction management program which is one of their fastest-growing programs on cam- pus. They also recognize the need for nurses, so CMU has a very robust nursing program. They are continu- ally working with the community to identify needs that we have from an industry perspective.” Pollard further reports that even though Mesa Coun- ty has not yet allowed the growing and sale of recre- ational marijuana, its recent legalization in Colorado has given the Grand Valley community an opportunity to expand its agricultural offerings. “It has opened the door for us on the hemp side of things,” she relates. “We have a couple of companies that have enrolled