Colorado will select training programs for new Pell initiative. But data shows a ‘mixed bag’ in outcomes.

Colorado will soon select training programs for its new Workforce Pell initiative, an expansion of the federal Pell Grants program aimed at providing need-based aid for short-term job training. However, an analysis by The HEA Group and Open Campus Media reveals a "mixed bag" of outcomes across Colorado's job certificate programs.

While most graduates from these programs earn more than their high school diploma peers, the geographic region, program size, and school students attend impact their wages. For instance, a dental support services certificate from Pueblo Community College yields a median salary of $64,622, while the same certificate from Concorde Career College in Aurora, a private for-profit institution, results in a median salary of $36,010.

Concorde Career College's President, Kevin Prehn, maintains that significant research goes into selecting its programs, with a focus on those showing high growth and wage potential. However, the data highlights variability within the state. For example, median wages for Pima Medical Institute's nursing certificate programs range from $73,000, compared to a potential $20,000 difference between the same program at different schools.

The HEA data indicates that certain programs, like cosmetology, are likely to leave students worse off financially. Moreover, schools should evaluate and eliminate programs without available jobs in their geographic region. Colorado Mesa University's President, John Marshall, agrees that the identified issues are concerns for schools to address.

While Itzkowitz shares a cautious optimism about the prospects for more students through Workforce Pell, he emphasizes that this initiative is not a "silver bullet."