H_ED_2019A 02/13/2019 07:38:21 AM Committee Summary

Inta Morris, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Colorado Department of Higher Education, came to the table to provide background information about the Study Colorado program, which places approximately 12,000 international students at different institutions of higher education around the state.  A handout was distributed to the committee (Attachment A).  Senator Todd invited the student presenters to the table to introduce themselves.  The students took turns answering questions from the committee.

The students continued to answer questions from the committee.

Tim Kistler, Superintendent of Peyton School District 23Jt, and Scott Campbell, Superintendent of Widefield School District #3, came to the table to begin their presentation. They each provided background information about their school district and spoke about how and why they started the Peyton/Widefield Vocational Education Campus.

The superintendents distributed a handout to the committee (Attachment B) and spoke about their partnership and the collaboration with businesses in the area that were instrumental in developing and implementing the Manufacturing Industry Learning Labs (MiLL) National Training Center at the Peyton/Widefield Vocational Education Campus.  They showed several videos to the committee about the program.

The superintendents answered questions from the committee.

Eric Ward, Assistant Director of Pickens Technical College (Pickens), began his presentation.  He spoke about the three Area Technical Colleges (ATCs) in Colorado, which include Pickens, Emily Griffith, and Technical College of the Rockies.  Mr. Ward spoke about the types of programs offered by ATCs.  Several handouts were distributed to the committee (Attachments C and D).

Shannon Nicholas, Chief of Staff, Colorado Succeeds, spoke about the importance of Career and Technical Education (CTE) to the business community.  She discussed the need to develop a framework for agile learning,  and the interplay between experiential learning, systematic learning, and CTE.  Kelly Caufield, Vice President of Government Affairs, Colorado Succeeds, and Jesus Salazar, President of Prosono and member of the Colorado Succeeds board of directors, spoke about the challenges faced by businesses in recruiting, hiring, and retaining skilled workers, and the need for school districts to adapt and train students to be able to enter skilled vocations.  Mr. Salazar discussed several lessons learned pertaining to addressing CTE and business needs in the state, including understanding supply and demand and the need to create multiple pathways to the middle class.  The presenters discussed the connection between manufacturing and technical advances.  Ms. Caufield spoke about several innovative CTE programs at various school districts around the state.