The Colorado BioScience Institute and St. Vrain Valley Schools have been awarded a $435,200 Workforce Innovation Grant from the Weld County Workforce Development Board in support of the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program in biochemistry at Frederick High School.
P-TECH is a new type of school that brings together the best elements of high school, college and the professional world. The P-TECH program at Frederick High, known as WarriorTECH, provides students with an opportunity to earn a high school diploma, as well as an Associate of General Studies with a focus on Biochemistry from Aims Community College, at no cost to the student. The program also includes significant industry mentorship and internship opportunities with local industry partners Tolmar, Agilent Technologies, KBI Biopharma, and AGC Biologics, giving students a head start on their careers after completing the program.
“We are very appreciative of the generous grant from the Weld County Workforce Development Board, and are excited to leverage this generous gift into a sustained impact for our students, and by extension, our Carbon Valley community,” shared Russell Fox, Principal at Frederick High. “Our strong partnership with the Colorado BioScience Institute, AIMS Community College, and our corporate partners is giving our students a strong competitive advantage for future success, while also directly building a robust workforce pipeline to the fast growing bioscience sector industry.”
The grant will support the continued expansion of the WarriorTECH program as it adds new student cohorts, and provides funding for staffing, postsecondary tuition, industry certifications, and more. Currently 90 students are enrolled, with plans to continue expanding as a new cohort begins next school year.
“The Colorado BioScience Institute thanks the Weld County Workforce Development Board for their generous support of life sciences workforce development. The funds will grow our partnership with St. Vrain Valley Schools, and in particular Frederick High School, to enhance student learning and prepare future life sciences talent,” said Meg John, Vice President of the Colorado BioScience Institute. “We are thrilled to continue our work, along with our industry partners Tolmar, Agilent Technologies, KBI Biopharma, and AGC Biologics, with additional resources to support our P-TECH students.”
CeCe Majchrowski, Workforce Deputy Director at Employment Services of Weld County, credits Colorado House Bill 21-1264 for allocating state money for workforce development activities. “Improving outcomes for learners and preparing Coloradoans for well-paying, quality jobs are at the forefront of Employment Services’ mind. We are excited to partner with St. Vrain and the Colorado BioScience Institute as they grow the future leaders of Weld County.”