Today, Michael Bennet, U.S. Senator for Colorado, hosted the Putting Colorado to Work Jobs Forum, which brought together a diverse group of key leaders from across the state to discuss strategies and priorities for job creation and economic growth in Colorado and the country.

At the event, representatives from business, labor, academia and elected officials gathered for roundtable discussions on ideas on how to best jumpstart job creation and help move Colorado forward. Following welcoming remarks by Bennet and Mark Udall, U.S. Senator for Colorado, conferees adjourned to several roundtable sessions.

Discussion topics included "Building Colorado's Infrastructure," "Helping Small Business Grow," "Developing a 21st Century Workforce," "Expanding Colorado's Clean Energy Economy," "Strengthening Economic Development in Rural Colorado," and "Creating Opportunities in the Health Sector."

"There is nothing more important than putting Colorado and America back to work," said Bennet. "The best ideas for how to create jobs and keep our recovery on track won't come from Washington, they'll come from places like Colorado and the folks in this room. The challenges we face are serious, and it's going to take all of us-working together-to overcome them and put Colorado and America back to work."

Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, who delivered the keynote address, said: "The Obama Administration is working overtime to create more good jobs for Americans here in Colorado and around the country. Thanks to the support of Senator Bennet, roughly 13,000 people here in Colorado are already working full-time on good transportation and construction jobs funded by the Recovery Act. And by this time next year, many more Americans will be back at work."

The Putting Colorado to Work Jobs Forum was the culmination of a series of roundtables and events Bennet held over the past two weeks to gather input from Colorado business and community leaders as Congress considers proposals for job creation and economic growth.