COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. – In an effort to thwart a looming crisis in the number of workers trained in science, technology, engineering and math disciplines, industry and economic development representatives will review a new workforce development program at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs June 21.
Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak and other UCCS officials will brief representatives from advanced manufacturing, aeronautics and defense, technology/information, and industrial goods business sectors about the university’s Partnership in Innovation Preparation for Educators and Students program. The PIPES program will design a kindergarten through college educational program to increase interest in science, math and engineering disciplines.
The briefing, scheduled for 7:30 a.m. at the Lodge on the UCCS campus, will provide an overview of the PIPES program and efforts to increase interest in science and math among elementary and middle school youths and developing a pipeline that will lead them to college majors and positions in the workforce. UCCS is using a grant from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research to explore new approaches.
The briefing is sponsored by the Colorado Springs Economic Development Corporation, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Hewlett-Packard and Junior Achievement in cooperation with UCCS. The university is working with the Space Foundation to develop the PIPES program.
“We share the concerns of employers about the graying of their current workforce and preparing the next generation of professionals,” Shockley-Zalabak said. “We hope to share our ideas, and to solicit both input and support, for the direction the university is taking to ensure America’s technical superiority.”
In the aerospace industry alone, an estimated 27 percent of the workforce is eligible to retire by 2008. The number of U.S. aerospace engineering graduates is far below the industry’s needs, making workforce development a top issue of the Aerospace Industry Association.
Through its local industry program, the Colorado Springs Economic Development Corporation found many companies are concerned about the future availability of employees trained in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines, according to Bill Ruskin, local industry program coordinator, Economic Development Corporation. Those concerns prompted sponsorship of the briefing.
There is no cost to attend the briefing. Reservations are required. Please call (719) 262-3176 to reserve seating.
The Colorado Springs Economic Development Corporation is a privately-funded organization whose sole purpose is to provide primary employers with complementary, comprehensive relocation and expansion services.
UCCS, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in northeast Colorado Springs, is the fastest growing university in Colorado and one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The university offers 29 bachelor’s degrees, 18 master’s and four doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 7,600 students annually.