diff --git a/colcon_core/event_handler/console_start_end.py b/colcon_core/event_handler/console_start_end.py
index a4370d08..b0443c8f 100644
--- a/colcon_core/event_handler/console_start_end.py
+++ b/colcon_core/event_handler/console_start_end.py
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 import sys
 import time
 
+import colorama
+
 from colcon_core.event.job import JobEnded
 from colcon_core.event.job import JobStarted
 from colcon_core.event.test import TestFailure
@@ -25,6 +27,7 @@ class ConsoleStartEndEventHandler(EventHandlerExtensionPoint):
 
     def __init__(self):  # noqa: D107
         super().__init__()
+        colorama.init()
         satisfies_version(
             EventHandlerExtensionPoint.EXTENSION_POINT_VERSION, '^1.0')
         self._start_times = {}
@@ -34,8 +37,10 @@ def __call__(self, event):  # noqa: D102
         data = event[0]
 
         if isinstance(data, JobStarted):
-            print(
-                'Starting >>> {data.identifier}'.format_map(locals()),
+            msg_template = ('Starting ' + colorama.Fore.GREEN +
+                            colorama.Style.BRIGHT + '>>>' + colorama.Fore.CYAN +
+                            ' {data.identifier}' + colorama.Style.RESET_ALL)
+            print(msg_template.format_map(locals()),
                 flush=True)
             self._start_times[data.identifier] = time.monotonic()
 
@@ -48,22 +53,35 @@ def __call__(self, event):  # noqa: D102
                 time.monotonic() - self._start_times[data.identifier]
             duration_string = format_duration(duration)
             if not data.rc:
-                msg = 'Finished <<< {data.identifier} [{duration_string}]' \
-                    .format_map(locals())
+                duration = time.time() - self._start_times[data.identifier]
+                duration_string = format_duration(duration)
+                msg_template = (colorama.Style.BRIGHT + colorama.Fore.BLACK +
+                                'Finished ' + colorama.Fore.GREEN + '<<<'
+                                + colorama.Style.RESET_ALL + colorama.Fore.CYAN
+                                + ' {data.identifier}' + colorama.Fore.RESET
+                                + ' [' + colorama.Fore.YELLOW +
+                                '{duration_string}' + colorama.Fore.RESET + ']')
+                msg = msg_template.format_map(locals())
                 job = event[1]
                 if job in self._with_test_failures:
                     msg += '\t[ with test failures ]'
                 writable = sys.stdout
 
             elif data.rc == SIGINT_RESULT:
-                msg = 'Aborted  <<< {data.identifier} [{duration_string}]' \
-                    .format_map(locals())
+                msg_template = (colorama.Style.BRIGHT + colorama.Fore.RED +
+                                'Aborted  ' + colorama.Style.NORMAL + '<<<'
+                                + colorama.Fore.CYAN + ' {data.identifier}'
+                                + colorama.Fore.RESET)
+                msg = msg_template.format_map(locals())
                 writable = sys.stdout
-
             else:
-                msg = 'Failed   <<< {data.identifier} ' \
-                    '[{duration_string}, exited with code {data.rc}]' \
-                    .format_map(locals())
+                msg_template = (colorama.Style.BRIGHT + colorama.Fore.RED +
+                                'Failed   ' + colorama.Style.NORMAL + '<<<' +
+                                colorama.Fore.CYAN + ' {data.identifier}' +
+                                colorama.Fore.RESET + ' [' + colorama.Fore.RED +
+                                'Exited with code {data.rc}' +
+                                colorama.Fore.RESET + ']')
+                msg = msg_template.format_map(locals())
                 writable = sys.stderr
 
             print(msg, file=writable, flush=True)
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index 41514513..652d2ea7 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ keywords = colcon
 [options]
 python_requires = >=3.5
 install_requires =
+  colorama
   coloredlogs; sys_platform == 'win32'
   distlib
   EmPy
diff --git a/stdeb.cfg b/stdeb.cfg
index a3f58f84..e0796288 100644
--- a/stdeb.cfg
+++ b/stdeb.cfg
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 [colcon-core]
 No-Python2:
-Depends3: python3-distlib, python3-empy, python3-pytest, python3-pytest-cov, python3-setuptools
+Depends3: python3-colorama, python3-distlib, python3-empy, python3-pytest, python3-pytest-cov, python3-setuptools
 Suite: bionic focal jammy stretch buster bullseye
 X-Python3-Version: >= 3.5