WESTMINSTER — Front Range Community College will be the first Colorado institution to participate in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Ambassador program.

As participants, FRCC said in a news release that it will:

• Promote and expand awareness of the benefits of registered apprenticeship in the U.S.
• Identify and scale innovative practices and partnerships to modernize, strengthen and accelerate the adoption of the registered apprenticeship model.
• Increase access and support for underrepresented and underserved populations in registered apprenticeships — including women, youth, people of color, rural communities, justice-involved individuals and people with disabilities.
• Communicate the business case for registered apprenticeships as a mainstream workforce strategy for high-demand industries — one that creates opportunities for good jobs for all Americans across the economy.

“Apprenticeships are a critical component of the state’s workforce development strategy,” FRCC apprenticeship leader Chris Heuston said in the release. “They create a more direct training and hiring link between job seekers and employers. Apprenticeships also help increase workforce diversity by giving historically underserved individuals access to career pathways in Colorado’s high-demand industries,” she said. “By connecting education and skill training with on-the-job learning, apprenticeships expand students’ career opportunities and help local businesses train the talent they need for hard-to-fill positions.”