Boulder Chamber View: Bridging Talent and Opportunity — Why ‘Boulder Hires Buffs’ is Exactly What Our Local Economy Needs

Originally published by the Daily Camera, April 7, 2025.

The search for top talent is a time-consuming and often costly challenge for every business. This is especially true for the tech, aerospace and bioscience companies that make up much of Boulder’s skilled workforce. But what if the next generation of talent graduated just steps from your office, only to pursue opportunities elsewhere?

This spring, the University of Colorado Boulder will send close to 6,000 graduates into the global workforce. It is a sobering reality that many will leave the region to start their careers. Not because Boulder lacks opportunity, but because students and local employers are not connecting at the right time, in the right way.

Boulder Hires Buffs is a new collaborative pilot program initiated by the Boulder Chamber CU Boulder’s Career Services Team to change that. Through job fairs, direct recruiting support, and the Handshake platform (an online job hub where employers can post positions and students can apply with ease), Boulder Hires Buffs helps local businesses connect directly with graduating students.

Its goal is simple: Help students find meaningful careers right here in Boulder.

Nationally, the job market is tightening. A Wall Street Journal article from May 2024 reported that employers plan to hire nearly 6% fewer college graduates than they did last year. Meanwhile, job postings in software development and other high-demand sectors have dropped more than 30% since 2020.

Locally, the decline is even more stark. Over the past five years, job postings in Boulder targeting business and liberal arts graduates have fallen by 53%, largely in line with the nation. But that does not mean those jobs no longer exist. Between April 2023 and April 2024, 486 local employers posted 1,643 entry-level roles in Boulder specifically suited for graduates with business or liberal arts degrees.

That is why Boulder Hires Buffs is so important. CU Boulder produces thousands of talented graduates each year, graduates who are ready to contribute across industries. The Boulder Hires Buffs program isn’t limited to one sector. It spans communications, engineering, technology, finance, nonprofits, hospitality, music, and more, ensuring students can see the full scope of opportunities Boulder has to offer.

Some assume CU Boulder grads leave Boulder because better opportunities exist elsewhere. But Boulder is a hub of innovation, home to groundbreaking work in AI, biotech, sustainable design, and advanced manufacturing. These are industries defining the future economy, and Boulder is at the center of them.

Others assume pay is the issue. But data tells a different story. Entry-level jobs requiring business degrees pay 2.7% above the national median in Boulder. While roles for liberal arts graduates may offer lower starting salaries, they often provide strong growth potential, leadership opportunities, and the chance to make a lasting community impact.

What’s missing is not opportunity, it’s visibility. Boulder Hires Buffs addresses this by making job openings more accessible to students and simplifying the recruitment process for businesses. It encourages students to view Boulder not just as a place to study, but as a place to stay, grow, and lead.

For employers, the benefits are clear. Hiring locally reduces costs, shortens transition timelines, and improves retention. You get candidates who already know the community and want to be here. That is a win for everyone.

And Boulder Hires Buffs is just the beginning. The Boulder Chamber is expanding this local talent strategy through programs like Boulder Young Professionals and Leadership Fellows which provide professional development and networking for early career workforce talent. The Boulder Chamber also has a strong relationship with Front Range Community College in the development of training pathways for high-demand fields and in graduate placement.

As Boulder’s population ages, we cannot afford to lose young talent. We need to cultivate it.

If you are a Boulder business leader, you can access the benefits of the Boulder Hires Buffs program through the following web page: bouldereconomiccouncil.org/working-boulder/workbased-learning/boulder-hires-buffs/. On the website you can post your job openings through CU Boulder’s Handshake platform, you can collaborate with Career Services to develop a tailored recruitment strategy and learn career fairs and other opportunities to meet students and recent grads face-to-face.

These small steps can create a lasting impact, not just for your business, but for the long-term health of Boulder’s economy. Let’s not let opportunity walk out the door. The talent is here. The jobs are here. We just need to connect them.

When Boulder hires Buffs, we all win.