Certified Appraisals, Inc. Blog

Local companies have recently been saying that the local workforce does not have the skills needed for the jobs that are available. Pikes Peak Community College wants to help fill that need by making changes to their class offerings as well as making changes to the physical campus. The changes will mainly be geared towards improved education to fulfill the needs for area jobs.

Before making changes, the college, along with UCCS and others, will lead a survey of area employers to find out just what the needs are. There are certain industries that the survey will focus on, such as aerospace and defense, health and wellness, technology and information, advanced manufacturing, bioscience, electronics, energy and natural resources, and financial services. Once the survey results are in, the issue of how to educate students for those jobs can be addressed.

In the meantime, others developments are in the works to expand the community college. Plans to expand the college on Pikes Peak Avenue would give the college a new 8,000 square-foot building that will include a theater and student commons area. The new building is planned for public meetings, political debates, and performances by artists.

While the college will address the needs of local employers, it already is looking at new education and training classes for the community. One such program will be geared towards people who want to learn for the fun of it, while earning a certification or associate's degree. Those who perhaps have retired from their profession, but still want to work and do something fun will benefit from these classes. Another program is geared towards showing middle-school aged students various career possibilities, and the college will work will school districts in the area.

It will be interesting and exciting to see what other changes may result at PPCC once the survey of local companies is completed. In the meantime, we can watch what these other programs do to enhance the college and the community.