Bridges’ Bipartisan Bill to Bolster Career Pathways & Help Coloradans Land Jobs Clears Committee

SB23-205 would create a Universal High School Scholarship Program to help students land jobs in high-demand fields

DENVER, CO – Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Jeff Bridges, D-Greenwood Village, to help students afford the training they need to land jobs in high-paying, in-demand fields cleared the Senate Education Committee today.

Cosponsored by Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, R-Monument, SB23-205 would create a Universal High School Scholarship Program to make it easier and more affordable to access postsecondary education and training opportunities for Colorado students.

“Opportunity is a core Colorado value, and this bill gives high school graduates in our state $1,500 to help them earn a good life,” said Bridges. “There are thousands of job openings in Colorado, but not enough trained workers to fill them. With this bill, we’ll get people the certificates, degrees, and apprenticeships they need, which is good for them, good for employers, and good for our economy.”

The program will provide each student with a $1,500 scholarship to take to any approved training provider in Colorado, from apprenticeship and on-the-job training to trade school, community colleges, and colleges and universities. This transformative financial support has the capacity to serve 15,000 graduating students in the Class of 2024, more than 25% of all high school graduates statewide.

Scholarships are available to Colorado residents who graduated from a Colorado high school or earned a high school equivalency credential in the 2023-2024 academic year.

Bridges and Lundeen highlighted SB23-205 at an event today with First Lady Jill Biden, who praised the innovative legislation that will connect hardworking Coloradans with the skills and training they need to thrive.

SB23-205 will now move to the Senate Appropriations Committee for further consideration. Follow the bill’s progress HERE.