AURORA/WHEAT RIDGE - Today, Governor Polis joined leaders from across the nation at the NAF Conference in Aurora to discuss expanding educational opportunities for high school students in STEM fields to better equip students for the careers of the future and to contribute to a strong and thriving workforce in Colorado.
“In Colorado, we are doing the work today to make sure students are ready for the jobs of tomorrow. Colorado is home to a strong and growing STEM workforce and making sure that our students have the resources they need to build skills to fill in-demand jobs is helping students and our economy succeed,” said Governor Polis.
Later today, Governor Polis will be visiting two recipients of the Opportunity Now Grant managed by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), showcasing investments into talent development in healthcare, aerospace engineering and quantum technologies. At Lutheran Hospital Governor Polis met with Intermountain Health staff who piloted the Pathfinders Program, a 2024 Opportunity Now grant recipient, that supports health care job seekers with upfront tuition coverage and job placement. Intermountain Health received a $1.9 million seed grant from the Opportunity Now Colorado grant program in April 2024, this supported the launch of an AI-supported fully connected talent pipeline to hire and provide entry-level frontline healthcare job seekers with the financial support they need.
“By providing ways for healthcare job seekers to learn the skills to succeed we are building a stronger healthcare workforce. Initiatives like these better prepare our future healthcare workforce to provide the best care for all Coloradans and earn a good living while doing so,” said Governor Polis.
At Red Rocks Community College, Governor Polis will tour the equipment and labs in Warren Tech, which is used to teach its aerospace engineering courses, and provide hands-on learning opportunities for students to gain skills in the aerospace and quantum industries. Red Rocks Community College received $1,219,365 in Opportunity Now grants to serve as a strategic partner in developing skills training programs in quantum technology and aerospace.
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