Public Health Workforce Development Resources

Implementing Strategies from the Blueprint for Innovative Public Health Workforce Development

Experts from the Colorado Public Health Workforce Collaborative have introduced new tools and resources to support public health workforce development efforts in Colorado.  The resources are designed to address workforce gaps and needs across four focus areas including recruitment, career and educational pathways, retention, and workforce data.

Download the Workforce Resources Overview
An infographic demonstrates how historic disinvestment in the public health workforce and gaps in resources impacted the public health workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a need for an estimated 80% increase in public health practitioners to make up for shortages.

A Blueprint for Restoring Colorado’s Public Health Workforce

These resources are developed from strategies identified in RESTORE: The Colorado Blueprint for Innovative Public Health Workforce Development.  They are available to support public health organizations as they engage in workforce planning, development, and growth with a focus on fostering equity, inclusion, well-being, and longevity in the workplace.

Explore the Blueprint
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Recruitment Resources

New Recruitment Toolkit Available

A new recruitment toolkit is available to assist public health agencies in their recruitment processes.

The toolkit provides a start-to-finish recruitment road map to help grow the public health workforce for a healthier future. 

Download the Recruitment Toolkit
Colorado Public Health Workforce Recruitment Toolkit
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Career Pathway Resources

Updated Public Health Career Pathway on My Colorado Journey

The Public Health Career Pathways on My Colorado Journey encourage career exploration in public health and connect job seekers and students to careers, education planning, and support resources through a guided process.

Subject matter experts and state and local professionals from the Workforce Collaborative, Trailhead Institute, Colorado Community College System, Innovate + Educate, and Colorado Workforce Development Council updated the Public Health Career Pathways in 2024 to provide information on position salaries, job openings, career growth, education, and training programs in public health, environmental health, and administration.

Explore Public Health Career Pathways
Download the Career Pathways One Pager
A green icon depicts career retention.

Retention Resources

New Retention Toolkit Available

A new retention repository offers articles, toolkits, and multimedia resources on equity, inclusion, workplace well-being, and impact. The retention toolkit is designed to support those who are from underrepresented populations, early careerists in public health, and public health organizations to develop workplaces that promote inclusivity and belonging.

Explore Retention Resources
Retention icons reflect articles, toolkits, and multimedia resources for retaining the public health workforce.
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Data Resources

The Workforce Collaborative’s data workgroup is supporting workforce gaps and needs assessment efforts in Colorado with attention to increasing response among small and rural public health agencies for the de Beaumont Foundation’s forthcoming PH WINS survey.

2023 Colorado Public Health Workforce Gaps and Needs Assessment

This report from the Colorado Public Health Workforce Gaps and Needs Assessment team shares findings from two new primary data collection efforts completed to understand the needs of Colorado’s public health workforce to inform future workforce development efforts. It compares Colorado data to national statistics from the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS).

2023 Colorado Gaps and Needs Assessment

The Colorado Public Health Workforce Gaps and Needs Assessment team is a partnership between the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE)’s Office of Public Health Practice, Planning, and Local Partnerships (OPHP); the Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials (CALPHO); Trailhead Institute; and the Colorado Health Institute (CHI).

To learn more about data workgroup initiatives, contact us at workforce@trailhead.institute.