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Governor Polis officially announced grant recipients at a press release on Thursday, June 22nd at Tepeyac Community Health Center, a nonprofit community health center in Denver and a grantee. Northeast BOCES was represented at the event by Tamara Durbin, Executive Director.
\r\nNortheast BOCES and Member School Districts receive $1.5 Million from the Opportunity Now Colorado Grant Program to Implement Career Pathways Leading Students to High Wage Jobs\r\n
\r\nOpportunity Now Colorado is proud to announce nearly $27 Million in grant awards to 46 total grantees including the Northeast Colorado Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), located in Haxtun, CO, which provides cooperative educational services for, and in partnership with, twelve member school districts: Akron R-1, Buffalo RE-4J, Frenchman RE-3, Haxtun RE-2J, Holyoke RE-1J, Julesburg RE-1, Lone Star #101, Otis R-3, Plateau R-5, Revere, Wray RD-2 and Yuma 1. \r\n
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\r\nThe grant, an initiative of the Office of Economic Development and International Trade, seeks innovative solutions to meet Colorado’s workforce needs through industry and education collaboration. As explained by Tamara Durbin, the Northeast BOCES Executive Director, the BOCES in partnership with the 12 rural northeast school districts, will provide youth, in 9th through 12th grades, and youth out of high school, with Career Connected Learning (CCL) including career awareness and exploration, skill development, training, career pathways leading to industry certifications and/or postsecondary planning for 2- or 4-year degrees in the industry areas where there are critical workforce shortages: Education , K-12 and early childhood; Health Care; Infrastructure, including Construction and Other Trades, specifically plumbing and electrical; Transportation and Warehousing, and Computer and Information Technology.
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\r\nNortheast BOCES intends to partner with the regional community college system, specifically Morgan Community College and Northeastern Junior College to offer concurrent enrollment opportunities leading to industry certificate and/or Associate Degree advancement, and with other Colorado trade, colleges, and universities for industry certificate, Bachelor and Master Degree advancement.\r\n
\r\nIn the past year, under the direction of superintendents and local career connected learning coordinators, school districts developed a Profile of a Graduate and explored and/or implemented work-based learning opportunities, along with internship opportunities for high school youth with Colorado Education Initiative (CEI) and Colorado Succeeds as grant partners in this work. \r\n
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\r\nCollaboration will be a key component to creating intentional pathways between education systems and employment. As the work begins, Durbin explains that she will be reaching out, along with Northeast BOCES leads, Alan Nall, Director of Secondary Support Services, and Michelle Lock, Regional Career Connected Learning Coordinator, to business/industry leaders, Chamber of Commerce Directors, Economic Development Directors, and others interested, to partner with the BOCES and member school districts in this work. \r\n
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\r\nThe goal is to close critical workforce shortages across the Golden Plaines Region, improve access for youth to jobs that provide a living and/or family-sustaining wage, create a high-quality workforce, and lead to long-term change in the practices of and alignment among employers, postsecondary education, workforce development, and K-12 education. \r\n
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\r\nAdditional information about the Opportunity Now Colorado Grant Program can be found on the program website at: (opportunitynow.co) or by calling the Northeast BOCES at 970-521-2771.