Colorado Community College System Announces Lead Colleges for CO-TECH Apprenticeship Grant

Four Community Colleges will implement expanded apprenticeship programs in IT fields

September 27, 2021 (Denver, CO) – The Colorado Community College System (CCCS), the state’s largest system of higher education and workforce development, today announced the four colleges to lead the CO-TECH apprenticeship program, made possible by a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. The initiative, which is focused on making high-wage, high-demand information technology (IT) occupations accessible to 1,600 adults statewide, regardless of previous education, will be led by Arapahoe Community College, Community College of Denver, Front Range Community College, and Pueblo Community College. The four colleges each received subgrants to partner with employers in expanding Registered Apprenticeship opportunities in IT and Cybersecurity careers.

“With our long-standing commitment to driving workforce development across the state, CCCS is pleased to partner with these innovative colleges to expand opportunities for Coloradans to access information technology apprenticeship programs,” said Michael Macklin, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and workforce development at the Colorado Community College System. “These new apprenticeship programs will make it easier for businesses to partner with community colleges to quickly start and hire apprentices, tapping into the existing pipeline of community college students.“

Each college has its own approach to the work:

• Arapahoe Community College (ACC) will expand partnerships and apprenticeship pathways with area technology companies in close collaboration with CyberUp, a non-profit organization and established leader in tech apprenticeships. Founded in 2017, CyberUp leverages strategic partnerships with colleges, universities and training organizations across the country to grow and scale the cybersecurity workforce.  “ACC will partner with CyberUp to co-create apprenticeship programs with companies in the south metro Denver area to systemically address their tech talent pipeline challenges,” says Dr. Eric Dunker, ACC Associate Vice President and Dean of Business, Technology and Workforce Partnerships.
• The Community College of Denver (CCD) will offer apprenticeship programs in seven IT-related fields, including database administration, information security, user support and network administration and architecture. CCD will cultivate strong connections to industry to assist with curriculum development, expand apprenticeship opportunities for students, and recruit incumbent workers who want to advance their careers.
• Front Range Community College (FRCC) will work closely with local companies to design new apprenticeship programs that provide those companies with new workers who can hit the ground running. They plan to target in-demand occupations including computer user support specialists, programmers, network support specialists, cybersecurity specialists and web developers.
• Pueblo Community College (PCC) will respond to regional demand for increased pathways into the IT and cybersecurity talent pipelines by expanding its current registered apprenticeships. PCC will focus on building out the Remote IT Helpdesk and Computer Tech Support apprenticeship, concurrently with the Software and App Developer apprenticeship. Individuals in the apprenticeship program will receive both a credential from PCC and an industry recognized credential from CompTia, Amazon Web Services, Oracle, or Microsoft.

In addition to the four colleges listed above, the program builds on and extends the existing cybersecurity Registered Apprenticeship at Red Rocks Community College.

Colorado employers interested in building an IT or Cybersecurity apprenticeship program and individuals interested in the apprenticeship program can find more information by visiting Colorado Community College System CO-TECH (https://cccs.edu/co-tech/).

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About Colorado Community College System

The Colorado Community College System (CCCS) is the state’s largest system of higher education and workforce development, delivering thousands of programs to over 125,000 students annually through 13 colleges and over 35 locations across Colorado. The System’s open-access mission ensures all Coloradans who aspire to enrich their lives have access to high quality, affordable higher education opportunities. The System Office provides leadership, advocacy, and support to the colleges under the direction of the State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education (SBCCOE). Join us in changing the way Colorado goes to college cccs.edu.