Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Colorado College Uses Grants to Add Construction Program

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 01/12/22

A public technical college in Colorado will be launching a new construction trades certification program that will give students experience in building affordable housing. Development of the "Delta-Montrose Building Affordable Homes & Skilled Workforce" program at Technical College of the Rockies is being funded by two grants: one from the state's Rural Economic Development Initiative for $195,628 and the other from the Western Colorado Community Foundation for $50,000. The college is working with the region's Habitat for Humanity affiliate.

Expected to launch in the fall, the program will offer short-term certification courses in the residential construction process, including excavation, framing, drywall, paint/finish work and landscaping, all the way through passing final inspections and earning a certificate of occupancy. Students will gain practical experience at Habitat worksites, where they'll help in building affordable homes, alongside volunteers and prospective home owners.

The new offerings will build on existing programs in heating and air conditioning and electrical work. The first is a one-year program leading to a technician credential. The second is a two-year apprenticeship program, for licensing as a journeyman electrician.

All that's needed, the school noted in a press release, is a program coordinator to schedule on-site training and to work with local high schools in setting up pathways for students who aren't "college-bound."

"I am excited about receiving this grant and the opportunities it will help us launch. The focus of this project is to meet two goals; one is to help provide local folks with the skills, knowledge and training to earn short-term credentials and be able to enter the high-demand, high-wage construction industry," said Allen Golden, director of the college, in a statement. "The second goal is to do so while helping solve the growing issue of a shortage of affordable housing in our service area. I look forward to using this grant to launch this partnership with Habitat for Humanity, in an effort that I believe will be replicable for other areas around the state as well!"

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Construction Begins on New University Research Vessel

    Boat-building company All American Marine recently announced that it has begun construction on a new catamaran research vessel for the University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) in Port Aransas, Texas, according to a news release.

  • Round Rock ISD Completes New Early College High School

    Round Rock ISD near Austin, Texas, recently announced that construction is complete on a new, 46,500-square-foot campus for Early College High School, according to a news release. The new facility will allow the school’s students and staff to move from portables into a permanent building and increase its enrollment to 500.

  • From Approval to Opening: Inside Travis Unified School District’s Fast Tracked Campus Expansion

    The Travis Unified School District (TUSD) in northern California includes several elementary and high schools serving over 5,400 students. In 2024, the TUSD Board approved the addition of sixth grade to the Golden West Middle School campus for the 2025–26 school year, setting in motion an accelerated effort to bring new facilities online in less than a year.

  • Children walking along bright school corridor with motion blur

    How Next-Gen Design Is Reshaping the Student Experience

    The environments where students learn play a crucial role in shaping their growth in and out of the classroom. By centering design on well-being, flexibility, and purpose, districts can ensure their facilities remain vibrant community assets for many years to come.