The Colorado Community College System (CCCS) is one of 28 recipients nationwide of the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) Apprenticeship: Closing the Skills Gap grant program, receiving two million dollars over four years to create 1,600 IT and cybersecurity apprenticeships in Colorado between March 2020 and February 2024.
Initial industry partners include the following:
- CCCS colleges and Emily Griffith Technical College
- Industry leadership, including Techtonic, Second-61, Microsoft, and Centura Health who have committed +$900,000 in-kind contributions
- Jobs for the Future
- State agency collaboration with the Colorado Department of Education (CDE), Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE), Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE), and Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC)
- Sector partnership and industry association support
CO-TECH will make high-wage, high-demand IT occupations accessible to 1,600 adults statewide, regardless of previous education by primarily investing grant funds in program development, launch, implementation, and scaling.
Targeted Occupations:
Fourteen occupations have been identified as targeted occupations for the CO-TECH grant, with a particular emphasis being placed on cybersecurity functions. Additional occupations will be considered based on employer regional demand.
| Computer User Support Specialists | Database Administrators |
| Information Security Analysts | Network and Computer Systems Administrators |
| Software Developers, Applications | Software Developers, Systems Software |
| Web Developers | Computer Hardware Engineers |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | Computer Network Architects |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | Computer Occupations, All Others |
| Computer Programmers | Computer Systems Analysts |
For questions on how your college can learn more on CO-TECH apprenticeships, how to opt into the program, or for technical assistance on your application to participate contact Rebecca, at Rebecca.Lindhorst-Ballast@cccs.edu.