Colorado's approach to implementing the Swiss system in Colorado needs to start as a grassroots effort that works its way to the top. That's one key takeaway Martin Dahinden, the Swiss ambassador to the U.S., said he wants to drive home to business and education leaders trying to implement his country's education model in Colorado. 

House Speaker Paul Ryan spoke to a group of Boeing employees during a town hall style Q&A on tax reform on Thursday morning. "We are taxing this business, these planes, your jobs in this country at a much higher tax rate than other our foreign competitors tax there's." Ryan said a complete overhaul of the tax code is something he's dreamed of for a long time, and he doesn't want to let this once-in-a-generation opportunity go to waste. 

The Colorado initiative, officially launching this month, will place 116 high school juniors in state and industry sponsored apprenticeship programs. CareerWise will train students in professional fields such as IT, advanced manufacturing, business operations, and financial services while they simultaneously earn their high school diplomas and college credit. 

EasyMile, the French maker of driverless shuttles, will open its U.S. headquarters this fall at the Panasonic campus near the Denver International Airport. 

The company, which teamed with the Regional Transportation District to demonstrate its autonomous EZ10 shuttles in Denver last week, is waiting for the renovation of a 6,000 square-foot office and warehouse space to be completed. 

America's outdated tax system has produced slow economic growth. We have one of the highest tax rates in the world. American companies are disappearing along with good-paying jobs. 

We need a plan to make America competitive again. Urge Congress to create opportunities for American companies and workers by passing pro-growth, comprehensive tax reform. Tell them we can't wait any longer to give American workers the tax reform they deserve. 

Colorado's economic-development office will launch a pilot program aiming to create consultancies at statewide companies for liberal-arts students at local colleges in order to get them more workforce ready. 

The "Linked" effort will launch as a $350,000 pilot program this year, with Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade Leaders aiming to turn it into a full-time program and seek funding from grants and the business community next year, said Anna Ewing, chief operating office for the office.