The Event
For the 2025 Q4 manufacturing sector partnership meeting, attendees convened at BVSD’s technical high school, Apex, on Thursday, November 13th.
With this being the final convening of the year, the group took time to reflect on the partnership’s accomplishments and activities throughout 2025. This included a recap of collective efforts, shared successes, and areas of collaboration, including the recent Manufacturing Parent Night with SVVSD and the Tariff Webinar Series with the Supply Chain Collective. Following this review, industry partners engaged in a discussion on growth hurdles and successes experienced by manufacturing employers this year. Employers highlighted challenges that included securing funding in the case of startups, navigating supply chain disruptions and tariffs, and filling open positions.
Key takeaways included the ongoing importance of cultivating a skilled workforce through internships, apprenticeships, and other workforce development programs and to continue connecting partners to resources for organizations facing headwinds in the form of supply chain disruptions, operational challenges, and more. Aligned with these priorities, Manufacturer’s Edge, a longtime partner for manufacturers, joined the discussion to spotlight the resources they offer manufacturers, along with an overview of their recent workforce-focused efforts.
Highlighting Apex
Kicking off the convening, Ming Scheid, Principal of Boulder Apex, opened the session with an overview of current programs available for students. Pathways in Technical Education include Welding, Auto Service, Auto Collision Repair, Construction Trades, and more. She also spotlighted what’s to come: looking ahead, Apex plans to expand its offerings in the 2027–2028 school year with new pathways which will include programs like Modern Manufacturing as well as Aviation & Aerospace, among others.
Learn more about Apex Programs
Economic Overview of Careers in Manufacturing
Abdullah Saquib, Economic Analyst at the Boulder Chamber, provided an in-depth analysis of career opportunities in advanced manufacturing. Manufacturing continues to be a high-demand sector in the region that offers strong earning potential. This data only reinforces the importance of programs like Apex in building the local workforce pipeline of manufacturing professionals in Boulder County.
BoulderMOD Tour
At the end of the meeting, participants were able to tour of the BoulderMOD, a modular home factory developed in partnership with BVSD, the City of Boulder, and Flatirons Habitat for Humanity. Students taking course material with Boulder Apex’s Construction pathway gain real-world experience building modular homes, with the first 61 homes planned for the City of Boulder’s Ponderosa Community Stabilization Project. In the first few years, BoulderMOD is expected to produce 12–15 homes annually, with the potential to scale up to 50 homes per year.