Adams County
Adams County is located in the north Denver Metro areas and covers over 1100 square miles. It has a population of over 525,000 residents. The county seat is Brighton, and the largest city is Thornton. According to the 2020 census there are over 10,000 businesses located in Adams County. The county is forecasted to be one of the fastest growing in Colorado by 2050.
Business Resources
Adams County Workforce and Business Center offers a variety of resources for both employers and employees.
One of the many resources they offer is Sector Partnerships where industry specific groups come together to discuss issues, needs and solutions. View their guide HERE.
City of Thornton
City of Thornton is home to over 144,000 residents; it is a home rule city located in Adams and Weld counties. There are over 1400 acres of greenfield sites ready for development. Situated on the I25 corridor Thornton is now home to an Amazon Delivery Center, Sashco and Meati Foods.
Business Resources
Thornton’s Office of Economic Development (OED) is the primary business connection in the city, offering comprehensive support for real estate searches, permitting coordination, labor market insights, and incentive negotiation. The OED is thrilled to collaborate with businesses and site selectors in considering Thornton as the ideal destination for their business location or expansion.
The Alliance Business Assistance Center brings together private, public, and non-profit resources to support local businesses in starting, growing, and expanding. It offers a range of services, including business grants, loan information, marketing support, business workshops, consulting, and more, with resources available in both English and Spanish.
Adams 12 Five Star Schools
Adams 12 Five Star serves over 35,000 students who speak over 95 different languages. There are over forty-five schools in the district that offer a wide variety of programming, including the Future Forward program which provides career and technical education opportunities across the district.
Career and Technical Education
The district's Career and Technical Education (CTE) program, FutureForward, gives all students a competitive advantage as they enter college, career or the military. FutureForward is proud to partner with industry leaders to provide participating students with unique opportunities to advance their education, earn industry certificates or earn work-based learning opportunities in many career pathways
Mapleton Public Schools
Mapleton Public Schools serves over 7000 students in small by design schools and one on-line academy. Mapleton covers over 25 square miles in north metro Denver area. The district reinvented itself and is a 100% choice district. Families choose the school that works best for their child and the district provides transportation to all students.
Career and Technical Education
Expanding Mapleton's Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathways is a priority of Mapleton's Board of Education. This effort is made possible thanks to the 2022 community-supported Mill Levy. Additional CTE pathways will give Mapleton students more opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to be successful and workforce ready after high school.
School District 27J
School District 27J (SD 27J) serves over 20,000 students, in over thirty schools including an on-line academy, a magnet school and several charter schools. SD 27JÂ is one of the largest employers in Brighton and plays a key role in creating a healthy climate in our community.
Career and Technical Education
27J Schools believe all students can achieve at the highest levels and commitments to ensuring every student succeeds through a variety of pathways into adulthood after high school.
Our schools are dedicated to preparing all students for careers and lifelong learning. Our mission is to prepare all students for successful careers through the real-world application of core academic skills by partnering classrooms with businesses, industries, and communities to positively impact the future workforce. All CTE programs offer academic, elective, and/or college credit.
