Building the Infrastructure | The Rise Report | Issue 8

Reminder: FutureRise is accepting applications for Boundless Opportunity Scholarship funding. We are committing up to $2 million in grants to Colorado learning providers who are moving non-traditional students into credentials that lead to economic mobility.

Applications are due this Friday, March 27 by 5pm MT. 

Get more details and access to the application here. 

Questions? Reply to this newsletter, or reach out to us: [email protected].

Colorado has a new tool for organizations building workforce training infrastructure — and the application window opens this summer.

The Opportunity Now Tax Credits, created by House Bill 24-1365, offers up to 50% back on the cost of a qualifying capital investment in workforce training. That means land, buildings, or equipment — purchased or built for the purpose of training workers in advanced manufacturing, clean energy, construction, infrastructure, or semiconductors. Up to $15 million in credits are available each year through 2033, and the credits are fully refundable, meaning organizations can receive the full value even if it exceeds their tax liability.

The program is administered by OEDIT's Talent Innovation office and sits alongside the Opportunity Now grants, a program quite familiar to Colorado education and workforce leaders. The Opportunity Now grants support program operations; the tax credit supports capital. Together, they reflect Colorado's sustained investment in building the physical and programmatic infrastructure for high-demand industries.

“Colorado has made significant investments in connecting workers to good-paying jobs in the industries shaping our economy,” says Eve Lieberman, Executive Director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT). “The Opportunity Now Tax Credit gives employers and training providers the capital tools they need to build the infrastructure that makes that possible – expanding capacity, reaching more Coloradans, and ensuring the pathways we’re building are built to last.”

Who can apply — and who can't. Eligible applicants include businesses and non-profit organizations based in Colorado. Higher education institutions, technical colleges, and local district colleges are not eligible to apply directly. They can, however, partner with an eligible entity. For institutions looking to expand training capacity in these sectors, identifying the right business or employer partner is worth doing now, before the application cycle opens.

The timeline. The reservation application period runs June 1 through July 20, 2026. Applicants will be notified in October. The multi-step process — reservation, progress reporting, issuance, and 15 years of compliance reporting — requires real planning. Organizations that may benefit should start that conversation well before June.

The bigger picture. Colorado has spent more than a decade building a workforce development infrastructure that spans state agencies, community partners, and higher education. The Opportunity Now Tax Credits are the capital-investment arm of that system — designed to help employers and training providers build or expand the physical capacity needed to meet documented talent shortages. For organizations working at the intersection of workforce and education, understanding how this tool fits alongside grants, scholarships, and institutional partnerships is increasingly important.

More information and the reservation application are available at oedit.colorado.gov.

This week, leaders from the state joined the second in a webinar series to talk about Colorado’s readiness for the federal Workforce Pell program. Jess Kostelnik and Rachel Snyder from the Office of Governor Polis and Dr. Sophia Laderman from the Colorado Department of Higher Education provided a comprehensive overview of Colorado's implementation progress to date. The session drew strong engagement and substantive questions from across the ecosystem.

Key assets from this week’s webinar are available and include:

As a reminder, the federal program goes into effect on July 1, 2026. The federal Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) public comment period closes on April 8.

Upcoming opportunities to stay engaged (details on the website):

To receive updates about the next webinar in the series, please reach out to Alison Griffin to be added to the distribution list.

Related: a new brief from the Data Quality Campaign and MDRC on states’ readiness for Workforce Pell and a reflection from the National Skills Coalition about data alignment standards required by Workforce Pell.

CUNY ASAP Program Expansion: Governor Polis announced the expansion of the Accelerated Study in Academic Programs (ASAP) model to bachelor's degree-seeking students at Adams State University and the University of Northern Colorado. Originally developed by the City University of New York, ASAP pairs proactive advising and academic support with financial assistance to accelerate degree completion. The more than $5 million investment includes a grant from Arnold Ventures, matched dollar-for-dollar by the state and institutional funds, as part of a broader $20 million philanthropic partnership. The expansion is administered through the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI) and the Colorado Partnership for Proven Initiatives, which also includes CEEMI — a data infrastructure partner familiar to FutureRise followers. The goal is to double institutional completion rates at participating campuses.

Short Term Credentials + Advisors: A new National College Attainment Network (NCAN) survey surfaces a familiar tension: students are asking about short-term credentials faster than advisors can answer them. Eighty-five percent of respondents said students inquire about these programs at least sometimes. Only 9% felt very confident advising on them. Many don't know which programs lead to high-wage jobs. The concern remains: without clear guidance and more support for advisors, students risk being pushed toward programs that may not provide economic value.

The SGO Federal Tax Credit: Congress enacted a federal Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) tax credit last July, offering individuals a dollar-for-dollar credit — up to $1,700 annually — for donations to state-authorized SGOs that fund K-12 student scholarships. Governor Polis announced last month that Colorado will participate, making it the first Democratic-led state to opt in. Eligible providers include CTE centers and career-connected learning programs. Colorado Succeeds has published a useful primer here.

The Rise Report welcomes updates from our colleagues across Colorado. Think of this as your one-stop-shop for conference updates, new research + reports, job postings, and career moves. Submit your update here.

Call for Proposals: The Attainment Network will host the Career-Connected L/Earning Conference from October 29-30 in Colorado Springs. The call for proposals is open through April 24. Learn more and submit your session here.

The Attainment Network's Professional Learning Series continues on March 30 with a session on career advising centered on purpose, belonging, and social capital — exploring emerging research and how organizations are incorporating these ideas into career-connected learning programs. Practitioners working directly with learners and educators are encouraged to register here.

The Non-Degree Credentials Research Network holds its 8th annual conference May 19–20 in Washington, D.C., bringing together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers focused on the labor market value of certificates, certifications, apprenticeships, and other non-degree credentials. Register here.

New America is hosting a primer on college accreditation on April 8. With the Trump administration promising a "revolution" in accreditation and federal negotiated rulemaking on the horizon, the session offers essential context for anyone tracking how the system that unlocks $120 billion in federal financial aid could change. Register here.

The Postsecondary Commission (PSC), a nonprofit working to become a federally recognized accreditor that would evaluate institutions based primarily on economic outcomes for students, specifically the wage gains graduates receive relative to peers who never enrolled introduced a new Advisory Board this week. Full board here.

HB26-1317, the Unified Postsecondary Talent Development System legislation sponsored by Speaker Julie McCluskie, Representative Rick Taggart, Senator Jeff Bridges, and Senator Lisa Frizell was considered in the House Education Committee today.

The bill creates the postsecondary talent development system transition advisory committee, responsible for integrating oversight of higher education and workforce development programs. Next week, we will share an update on the legislation, amendments and a brief analysis on the unified agency concept.

Read the coalition letter in support of the legislation here.

Until next week,

Alison