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Pueblo Community College offers tuition-free options for high demand jobs

State of Colorado has put forward $38.6 million to help community colleges provide these programs
Pueblo Community College Executive Dean Lisa Snyder says the school is trying to cater to working adults. (Courtesy of Steve Bigley)

Pueblo Community College is now offering no-cost career advancement programs.

The programs are part of Career Advance Colorado, a workforce development initiative providing free training for in-demand jobs through the state’s 19 community and technical colleges.

Pueblo will offer career advancement programs in nursing, firefighting, law enforcement, construction and education.

The state of Colorado has dedicated $38.6 million to fully cover tuition, fees, course materials, and other costs for training programs in high priority areas: construction, early childhood education, education, forestry, firefighting, law enforcement and nursing.

“Having worked in the education sector for decades, I’ve seen the impact of our state’s teacher shortage up close,” Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie said. “Many sectors are facing the same challenges, so it’s imperative we take immediate action to incentivize more Coloradans into these career pathways. Through Career Advance Colorado, we have delivered a bipartisan solution that will uplift thousands of Coloradans and keep our state competitive for years to come.”

Pueblo Community College Executive Dean Lisa Snyder said adding these career advancement programs are part of the community college’s mission to work with industry partners and help fill community needs.

For students attempting to pursue a career advancement program in education, Pueblo Community College is offering an associate degree in education where credits will transfer over to 11 Colorado schools including Fort Lewis College.

As of Sunday, Durango School District 9-R had 29 open licensed teaching positions indicating a strong need for teachers in the area. Montezuma-Cortez School District RE-1 has 15 licensed teaching positions still open.

The wildland firefighting program is a one-week program and will give students their S-212 credential, making them available to serve on wildland firefighting crews.

“They're all part of a stackable credential. The shorter term credentials that we're talking about are those entry points that then individuals can come back and get more training for as they move up in that career or job ladder,” said Pueblo Community College Director of Academic Services Perry Pepper.

The school’s law enforcement program, which is an 18-week course, is also among the no-cost programs. The nursing career advancement program will include an associate’s degree.

For the first time, however, the school will be offering a construction program starting fall semester of 2023 as part of the no-cost programs.

“That's a high-demand field in that mid-wage to potential high-wage ladder where an individual can start working that field immediately and make a good living,” Pepper said.

It is initially a 16-credit or one-semester program that will eventually build into an associate degree.

“One of the one of our goals is to really look at our schedule and think about how best can we cater to working adults,” Snyder said.

She also said that allowing students to take these courses alleviate some of the burdens of living in a high-cost area while attending school.

tbrown@durangoherald.com