Colorado Receives Federal Grant to Support Quantum Tech Hub
?????I hope everyone enjoyed a great July 4th holiday and extended holiday weekend.
During our break, I continued to track the news featuring Colorado—most notably the announcement that the?Elevate Quantum Tech Hub?will?receive?over $40 million of federal funds to establish a regional quantum tech hub. The?Elevate Quantum Tech Hub?is a consortium of organizations across Colorado and New Mexico, one consortium of twelve nationwide that received a share of over $500 million of federal support. Quantum information science is a combination of quantum mechanics and computer science. Elevate will tap regional expertise and assets including federal labs to focus on quantum information technology to support the development of artificial intelligence to climate technology. Governor Polis is?hopeful?that the growth of the quantum industry will also spur economic development and job growth in Colorado.
Quantum information technology programs are naturally inclusive of our?state’s postsecondary education providers, but this week, the?St. Vrain Valley School District?announced?their plans alongside the Cherry Creek, East Grant and Clear Creek school districts to join a consortium to integrate quantum computing into the STEM curriculum, support strategic planning with Elevate, and develop learning materials for grades 6-12. The consortium partners anticipate their classroom materials will be made available, nationwide.
Finally, in an effort to prepare the state’s educator workforce for the quantum industry, Colorado announced nine public school teachers from the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) participated in a three-day ‘externship’ held at the CU-Boulder campus in early June. These educators learned the fundamental principles of quantum computing and quantum physics in order to better apply these principles to their curriculum for students. More details about the?Colorado Department of Labor and Employment ‘externship’?program for teachers is?here.
???Over the break, I watched the recorded LinkedIn Live from?Jobs for the Future?about ways in which we can help our student athletes translate their experience on the field, the court, or the course to the workplace. As a parent of a high school athlete, I am frequently reminded that my son’s experiences with teamwork, leadership, time management and resilience are a few of the competencies required by his sport, which are also valued by employers. If you missed the session and are curious about this topic, you can watch the recording?here.
???A shout out to our Colorado-based colleague, and national policy expert?Pat Lane?with the?Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE)?whose perspective was featured in?this?Axios?story?on the enrollment pressures being felt by schools and higher education institutions, nationwide. You can find more information on the work of WICHE, and their regular data analysis and report, “Knocking on the College Door,” which provides projections of U.S. high school graduates?here.?
This report and the discussion of enrollment is timely, as we have seen a?decrease in?FAFSA completion?by students, nationally as well as in Colorado. This week, Jason Gonzales with?Chalkbeat Colorado?reported that Colorado has seen a near 12% drop in FAFSA completion by the state’s high school students, citing?data obtained?from the?National College Attainment Network (NCAN). The full impact is yet to be seen, but Colorado higher education institutions are?putting in place efforts to reach students and families, extend aid deadlines, and work with students up until the start of the next academic year. In fact, the Outreach and Engagement team from the?Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE)?is hosting four events in July across the greater Denver area. More details?here.
???Finally, on a more lighthearted note, if you ever wondered how often you should wash your sheets –?take some advice?from my Whiteboard Advisors colleague, Libbey Castle, who recently shared her sheet-washing practices and germ-fighting strategies with readers in?Time.
All my best for a great week ahead,
Alison
Spotlight on Colorado Education and Workforce
The National Governors Association (NGA) chaired by Utah Governor Spencer Cox and vice chair Colorado Governor Jared Polis,?called?on Congress to pass the bipartisan federal?Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act?(WIOA).?
Citing the statue’s impact on state policy and needed flexibility for governors and local leaders who administer the federal program, the lawmakers called on Congress to enact more innovative approaches to workforce development in order to meet workers’ needs and prepare them for today’s jobs.
In Colorado, the state’s workforce development planning regions and local workforce areas produce four year regional and local plans under the federal statute.?
At the end of last month, the Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC) made available the 2024-2027 regional and local plans, all of which had been open for comment earlier this spring.?
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Why it matters:?Colorado’s Combined State Plan has been approved by the U.S. Department of Labor and is a strong signal of the state’s commitment to increasing affordability, quality, equity and access to Coloradans, across the state’s workforce system.
Go deeper:?All of the plans are linked?here?and all plans went into effect on July 1.?
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