Career & Technical Education & Apprenticeships

The bill requires the state apprenticeship agency in the department of labor and employment (department), in coordination with the career and technical education division of the Colorado community college system, to align the high school career and technical education system and the registered apprenticeship system for programs and occupations related to infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, education, or health care. On or before July 1, 2026, the bill requires both entities to expand the number of aligned pathways, prioritizing programs and occupations identified as top jobs by the annual Colorado talent pipeline report. The bill requires the office of future of work in the department to engage in proactive outreach to foster collaboration between entities to facilitate awareness of opportunities for current and prospective participants in apprenticeship programs. To implement the bill, for the 2024-25 state fiscal year:

• $87,326 is appropriated to the department from the general fund for use by the office of the executive director of the department; and
• $95,245 in reappropriated funds pursuant to the bill is appropriated to the department of higher education.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)