CAÑON CITY, Colo. — The Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools (P-TECH) program at Cañon City High School is giving students a chance to earn their high school diploma and an associate degree simultaneously. 

The program, part of the school’s Pathways Program, gives students a chance to gain firsthand experience in their career choices through partnerships with local businesses in Fremont County. The goal is to provide a workforce pipeline in areas with a high demand for employees.

“We’ve had a lot of success with our local industry partners supporting us and supporting the P-TECH program,” said Madison Tortessi, Cañon City High School P-TECH coordinator. “They’re getting job experience in high school and they’re making connections with the fire department or with local tech companies or with local automotive companies before they even graduate, so that they already have these avenues into careers by the time they graduate.”

P-TECH is a career and technical education-based program that provides industry-ready employees in high-need areas like Cañon City. It was a concept started by a well-known international technology corporation.   

“P-TECH actually started in New York City in 2011 by IBM,” Tortessi said. “Basically, the idea was that IBM didn’t have enough workers, so they created P-TECH to try to create workers for them.”

When students enroll, they can choose one of four pathway options: automotive technology, fire science technology, computer information systems and advanced EMT. Tortessi said they then get to work on their associate degree in one of those areas while they’re in school. They have up to two years after high school to finish the associate degree, and it’s completely paid for.

“Books, tuition and fees,” Tortessi said. “I think it’s amazing to be able to provide students with not only an education into a direct career path, but a free education.”

The school started the program in the 2018-19 school year with their first pathway, computer information systems. Tortessi said they were the first rural school in the country to implement the P-TECH program and the fourth school in the state to become a P-TECH school.

“When Colorado adopted it, it was a STEM-based area and it also has to be a high-need area, so all of our programs at Cañon City are high need in our community and high paying,” Tortessi said. “I think one thing that people don’t realize is that Cañon City has a huge tech conglomerate. We have people who work for Microsoft, Disney and Google, all living in Cañon City.”

The high school has 80 students currently enrolled in the program. 

Sophomore Gavin Balch is enrolled in the automotive technology pathway. He said he likes the fact that students can get their ASE certifications through various partnerships with automotive companies like BMW, Hyundai, Genesis and Subaru.

“I’ve actually completed Hyundai, so after high school, I can go get a career as a Hyundai technician,” Balch said. “If you can walk into a shop with ASE certifications, your chance of getting a job is much higher than walking in a shop with no degree walking in.”

Tortessi said they’ve had one class graduate with associate degrees so far, and they’re working on adding two more pathways to their P-TECH program. The goal is to start high schoolers on their way to a career tuition-free.

“My hope is that students will take advantage of a program that is providing free college,” Tortessi said. “I think what makes P-TECH so important and amazing compared to other early college programs is that it’s very clearly defined into a career pathway, into a job.”

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