Colorado Springs School District Adds Trade Skills Track

A Colorado Springs school district has introduced a dedicated trade skills track for high school students, offering coursework in welding, electrical work, and construction alongside traditional academic requirements, part of a response to regional employer demand for skilled trades workers.

District career and technical education director Patrice Loman says the program grew out of direct conversations with local manufacturing and construction employers who described persistent difficulty finding qualified entry-level workers. "Employers kept telling us the same thing — they had jobs, but couldn't find people with even basic trade skills training," Loman said. "We realized we had an opportunity to actually address that gap."

Building Employer Partnerships Into the Curriculum

The trade skills track was developed in direct partnership with several regional employers, who provided input on specific technical skills the curriculum should emphasize and, in some cases, donated equipment for the district's new training facilities. Several employers have also committed to offering paid internship placements for students who complete the program, giving students direct pathways into local employment upon graduation.

District officials say building these employer partnerships required significant early relationship-building, since many local employers had limited prior experience partnering directly with public schools on curriculum development. The partnerships have since expanded beyond curriculum input to include employer representatives serving as guest instructors for specialized technical topics.

Addressing Persistent Stigma Around Trade Careers

Loman acknowledges the program faces some cultural headwinds, noting that trade careers have historically carried a stigma in many school counseling conversations that emphasize four-year college paths as the default successful outcome. The district has worked to present the trade skills track as a legitimate, well-compensated career pathway rather than a fallback option for students not pursuing college.

Early enrollment in the program has exceeded initial projections, according to district officials, who say they're now evaluating whether to expand the trade skills track to additional high schools within the district based on the strong initial student interest.