The Construction Education Foundation of Colorado (CEF Colorado) along with the Careers in Construction (CIC) program received a $100,000 Daniels Fund grant to support construction workforce development. The grant funding will benefit participants of the CIC program, that trains high school students with both instructional and hands-on-learning opportunities for construction skilled trades jobs and related construction career pathways.
“We appreciate the continued generosity from the Daniels Fund, and we are grateful to receive this much-needed contribution to benefit the next generation of the construction workforce,” commented Bryan Cook, executive director of CEF Colorado and the Chapter Operations director for the Associated General Contractors of Colorado (AGC/C).
The CIC program was founded by the partnership of the Housing & Building Association of Colorado Springs (CSHBA) and AGC/C to address the need for a greater construction workforce in Colorado. High schoolers enrolled in CIC follow the Home Builders Institute (HBI) nationally recognized curriculum along with hands-on construction projects to gain exposure to building trades safety and first aid as well as proper handling of tools and construction materials.
The CIC program began in 2015 with fewer than 30 students in one high school in El Paso County. The program has since grown to include the Denver metro area, with 19 participating high schools and 1,200 students enrolled in the construction training program. The CIC Metro Denver program is now part of the CEF Colorado suite of construction training programs. This grant will help not only sustain the CIC program, but also allow for continued growth to help fill the construction labor shortage gap that remains a challenge for construction firms in Colorado.
The Daniels Fund, established by cable television pioneer Bill Daniels, is a private charitable foundation dedicated to making life better for the people of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming through its grants program, scholarship program, and ethics initiative. Visit DanielsFund.org to learn more.
