During the 2022 legislative session, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 22-192 to improve access to quality credentials of value in the workplace and create greater alignment between credentials and work-based learning. The law mandates that CDHE work with other government agencies and stakeholders from industry, K12, and higher education to develop ten stackable credential pathways across five high-demand, high-growth industries by December 31, 2025. The bill also authorizes the department to distribute General Fund and State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund dollars to institutions of higher education to support improved alignment and credential stackability.
Colorado’s 2021 Talent Pipeline Report on top jobs and critical industries helped inform CDHE’s focus on building stackable credential pathways in the following industries:
- Behavioral Health
- Cybersecurity
- Education
- Healthcare
- Software Developer
Allana Farley, Credential Pathways Coordinator
Allana leads efforts to build out stackable credentials in education, creating pathways to teacher licensure and address the teacher shortage in our state. She has been with the department since February 2023. Allana brings over 10 years’ experience serving in both higher education and nonprofits developing workforce, employment training programs and providing academic and career guidance. Allana is passionate about education and believes” that stackable credentials meet the needs of students and society.
Source Legislation: SB 22-192: Opportunities for Credential Attainment
In 2022-23, CDHE disbursed $1.7 million in General Fund dollars to area community colleges, local college districts, and area technical colleges to support a higher number of students earning non-degree credentials, such as postsecondary certificates, apprenticeship certificates, professional licenses, or industry certifications. These dollars can be used to support students who complete non-degree credentials that 1) are part of an industry-aligned pathway, 2) are associated with industries identified in the Talent Pipeline Report, 3) are stackable, and 4) address critical job shortages.
CDHE will distribute an additional $228,352 to the Colorado Community College System for staff support, training, and development of pathways between credential and academic programs.
CDHE distributed $450,000 in Credential Pathways Technical Assistance Grants. CDHE solicited requests from public institutions of higher education for funding to support the development of high-quality stackable nondegree credentials in high-value industries. Funding was distributed to institutions of higher education as technical assistance grants to be used for faculty stipends, data infrastructure, cost of prior learning assessments, and contract support necessary for the development of high-quality stackable credential pathways leading to high-value occupations. Round One of funding is currently open. See below to learn about our TA grantees.
2023 Stackable Credential Pathways Report on Opportunities for Credential Attainment
2024 Stackable Credential Pathways Report on Opportunities for Credential Attainment
If you are interested in participating in the stackable credential pathways work, please send an email for additional information.
The Colorado Department of Higher Education’s (CDHE) behavioral health stackable credential leadership team is working to develop two stackable non-degree credential pathways for Colorado learner/earners interested in pursuing or advancing their career in behavioral health care. We are focused on building opportunities for learner/earners with industry certifications to receive college credit for the skills and competencies they possess. Our leadership team is comprised of employer and faculty subject matter experts as well as learners and partners from state agencies, industry, and advocacy organizations. The leadership team meets monthly—every third Friday of the month from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. If you are interested in joining the leadership team, please send an email for additional information.
Leadership Team Organizations
- Alliance for Community and Justice Innovation
- The Attainment Network
- Axis Health System
- Colorado Department of Higher Education
- Colorado Behavioral Health Administration
- Colorado Behavioral Health Council
- Colorado Community College System
- Colorado Department of Education
- Colorado Department of Higher Education
- Colorado Mesa University
- Colorado Mountain College
- Colorado State University
- Colorado Succeeds
- Colorado Workforce Development Council
- Community College of Aurora
- Community College of Denver
- Credential As You Go
- Denver Public Schools
- Envision Strategy Group
- Firefly Autism
- Governor's Office
- Heath Care Policy and Financing
- Metropolitan State University
- NASW-CO
- Pikes Peak State College
- Pueblo Community College
- Summit Stone Health
- Trinidad State College
- University of Colorado Denver
- University of Northern Colorado
- Western Colorado University
The Colorado Department of Higher Education’s (CDHE) cybersecurity stackable credential leadership team is working to develop two stackable non-degree credential pathways for Colorado learner/earners interested in pursuing or advancing their career in Information Technology with an emphasis in cybersecurity. We are focused on building opportunities for learner/earners with industry certifications to receive college credit for the skills and competencies they possess. Our leadership team is comprised of employer and faculty subject matter experts as well as learners and partners from state agencies, industry, and advocacy organizations. The leadership team meets monthly—every third Wednesday of the month from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. If you are interested in joining the leadership team, please send an email for additional information.
Leadership Team Organizations
- ActivateWork
- The Attainment Network
- BurstIQ
- Canvas Credit Union
- CareerWise Colorado
- College Board
- Colorado Christian University
- Colorado Community College System
- Colorado Department of Higher Education
- Colorado Mountain College
- Colorado State University
- Colorado State University Global
- Colorado Technology Association
- Community College of Denver
- Credential As You Go
- Data Nexus
- Denver Public Schools
- Front Range Community College
- Governor’s Office
- Innovate+Educate
- Lockheed Martin
- Microsoft
- Pikes Peak State College
- Red Rocks Community College
- Spark Mindset
- University of Colorado Denver
- University of Northern Colorado
The Colorado Department of Higher Education’s (CDHE) education stackable credential leadership team is working to develop two stackable non-degree credential pathways for Colorado learner/earners interested in pursuing or advancing their career in Education. We are focused on expanding and building opportunities for learner/earners to earn credentials/certificates that can lead to teacher licensure. Our leadership team is comprised of employer and faculty subject matter experts as well as learners and partners from state agencies, school districts, early childhood education and advocacy organizations. The leadership team meets monthly—every fourth Thursday of the month from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. If you are interested in joining the leadership team, please send an email for additional information.
Leadership Team Organizations
- Adams City Middle School
- Adams State University
- Arapahoe Community College
- Association for Advancing Quality in Education Preparation
- The Attainment Network
- Aurora Public Schools
- Calhan School District RJ-1, TASCC LLC Ear
- Career Wise Colorado
- CiviCO
- Colorado Christian University
- Colorado Community College System
- Colorado Department of Early Childhood
- Colorado Department of Education
- Colorado Department of Higher Education
- Colorado Department of Human Services
- Colorado Mesa University
- Colorado Mountain College
- Colorado State University Pueblo
- Colorado State University
- Colorado Succeeds
- Colorado Workforce Center-Rural Workforce
- Community College of Denver
- Credential As You Go
- Denver Public Schools
- Early Childhood Council of La Plata County
- Early Connections Learning Centers
- Efshar Project
- Envision Strategy Group
- Front Range Community College
- Goodwill of Colorado
- Governor's Office
- Higher Education Resource Services
- MyLifeTrek, Inc.
- Maryville University
- Poudre School District
- Pueblo Community College
- Red Rocks Community College
- Serve Colorado
- St. Vrain Valley School District
- Southern Ute Indian Tribe
- Star Harbor
- Teach Colorado
- University of Colorado Boulder
- University of Colorado Colorado Springs
- University of Colorado Denver
- University of Denver
- University of Northern Colorado
CDHE Education Contact
Allana Farley, MBA, GCFI
Credential Pathways Coordinator
Colorado Department of Higher Education
allana.farley@dhe.state.co.us
Allana Farley's LinkedIn
The Colorado Department of Higher Education’s (CDHE) healthcare stackable credential leadership team is working to develop two stackable non-degree credential pathways for Colorado learner/earners interested in pursuing or advancing their career in healthcare. We are focused on building opportunities for learner/earners to learn more about the pathways to nursing, diagnostic services, emergency medical services, and surgical services. Our leadership team is comprised of employer and faculty subject matter experts as well as learners and partners from state agencies, industry, and advocacy organizations. The leadership team meets monthly—every third Tuesday of the month from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. If you are interested in joining the leadership team, please send an email for additional information.
Leadership Team Organizations
- Aims Community College
- The Attainment Network
- Banner Health
- Burst IQ
- CareerWise Colorado
- Colorado Commission on Family Medicine
- Colorado Community College System
- Colorado Department of Healthcare Policy and Financing
- Colorado Department of Higher Education
- Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
- Colorado Mesa University
- Colorado Mountain College
- Colorado State University
- Colorado State University Global
- Colorado Succeeds
- Community College of Aurora
- Community College of Denver
- Credential As You Go
- Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies
- Colorado Workforce Center
- Envision Strategy Group
- Front Range Community College
- Governor’s Office
- Hands to the Future
- Innovate+Educate
- National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement
- Pueblo Community College
- Red Rocks Community College
- Technical College of the Rockies
- Trailhead Institute
- University of Northern Colorado
- University of Colorado Anschutz
The Colorado Department of Higher Education’s (CDHE) software developer stackable credential leadership team is working to develop two stackable non-degree credential pathways for Colorado learner/earners interested in pursuing or advancing their career in software developer. We are focused on building opportunities for learner/earners to learn more about the pathways to front end developer, back-end developer, full stack developer, and dev ops. Our leadership team is comprised of employer and faculty subject matter experts as well as learners and partners from state agencies, industry, and advocacy organizations. The leadership team meets monthly—every third Tuesday of the month from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. If you are interested in joining the leadership team, please send an email for additional information.
Leadership Team Organizations
- The Attainment Network
- CareerWise Colorado
- Colorado Christian University
- Colorado Community College System
- Colorado Department of Higher Education
- Colorado State University
- Colorado State University Global
- Colorado Succeeds
- Community College of Denver
- Credential As You Go
- Data Nexus
- DeNovo
- Denver Public Schools
- Governor’s Office
- Ibotta
- Indigo Project
- Innovate+Educate
- Jobcase
- Lockheed Martin
- Microsoft
- Randa Solutions
- Red Rocks Community College
- Spark Mindset
- University of Colorado Denver