Our CTE Pathways
The mission of EPIC is to support our local workforce needs by providing job ready skills to high school students and adults.
Local Programs
The BOCES currently offers programs in Cyber Security, Construction trades, Digital Media, and Pre-Engineering. We will be adding programs in Coding, Automotive and Construction. We work with partner schools to support programs that integrate into their curriculum through clubs, capstone projects and classes.
Work-Based Learning
The BOCES has a growing internship pool of over 50 businesses. We work with partner schools and industry to facilitate internships that are linked to industry certifications and hands-on experience required to enter the workforce.
Online Learning
We partner with Colorado Digital Learning Solutions, a state-supported supplemental online program that provides Colorado Districts, BOCES and charter schools with access to high-quality online courses that supplement their existing course offerings in a 21st-century environment.
Educator Training
The BOCES will pay for teachers to get certified to teach Career Technical Education classes. Join the growing number of teachers and school who support alternative pathways for high school students.
Auto Mechanics
The EPIC Automotive program will provide students with skills associated with all aspects of auto mechanics, including gas, diesel and EV motors. Utilizing state of the art technical trainers, students will gain knowledge that will lead to placement in the industry upon graduating high school.
While the national data demonstrates a decline in the need for auto mechanics, the industry continues to support over 655,000 jobs in the country and 11,480 in Colorado. Anecdotally, by surveying regional car dealerships and auto repair service centers, there is a need for skilled employees entering the workforce as current mechanics begin to retire from the industry. Specifically mentioned was the need for brand specific training programs, where a company like Toyota has specific training needs and there are no training programs that meet those demands in the region.
The CRBOCES needs assessment also indicated that there is a high need for diesel mechanics to support commercial needs and the demands of the oil and gas industry that dominates the region.
In an effort to be forward looking, our program team also sees the need to provide programming for the electric vehicle maintenance program. Very few programs exist across the country and with the march towards more EV, the occupational market for EV mechanics will expand.
Aviation
The aviation industry has a myriad of roles and responsibilities, but the primary occupation is that of a pilot. Recent data shows that there is a significant need for trained pilots to replace a retiring pilot cadre. Despite the short-term decline in the number of active pilots, analysis shows that the civil aviation industry will require more than 260,000 new pilots over the next decade.
Another key component of the aviation industry is the need for certified mechanics and technicians to provide maintenance for private and commercial aircraft. With several airports in the region and no training center for these occupations, having a credentialed program is a defined need. The projected growth for the aviation industry in Colorado can be seen by the chart below.