COLLEGES
Emily Griffith Technical College offers workforce training and industry-aligned postsecondary certificate programs including in 19 Career and Technical (CTE) certificate programs. The College offers full-time and part-time programs with day, evening, weekend, and online courses, which allow students to achieve their educational goals while also balancing work and family responsibilities.
APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING
Emily Griffith operates one of the oldest Registered Apprenticeship Programs in the state, and is the largest to offer college credits for transfer. Apprenticeship programs such as those at Emily Griffith offer work-based learning opportunities in industry-driven, high-quality career pathways where employers can develop and prepare their future workforce, and individuals can obtain paid work experience, classroom instruction, and a portable, nationally-recognized credential.
Support for New Americans
English Classes (online and at main campus)
Since opening in 1916, Emily Griffith Technical College has provided literacy and language classes to New Americans, and is home to the state’s oldest English Language Acquisition (ELA) program for adult immigrants and refugees. The College currently offers six levels of English classes. Classes are offered both day or evening, and are available both online and in person.
Off-Site English Classes
In partnership with Project Worthmore, Emily Griffith offers English classes for refugees in the East Colfax neighborhood of Aurora and Denver. This area is home to many immigrants and refugees and these English classes are well attended. The partnership offers classes tailored to the unique needs and interests of the students served at these offsite locations allowing them to acquire deeper cultural understanding while learning a new language.
Career Services for New Americans:
Emily Griffith has a reputation locally and nationally for its success in serving immigrants and refugees. Over the last decade, Emily Griffith Technical College has provided comprehensive services for all segments of this population and created a centralized hub for prospective immigrant and refugee students, immigrant and refugee service agencies, and employers through its career-aligned education and employment-readiness services. This program provides valuable resources to refugee and immigrant populations including navigation and goal planning, scholarships, one-on-one career counseling and job search assistance, support accessing their career-of-origin, and connections with industry professionals who can connect them with social capital resources such as professional associations and other individuals in the workplace.
Vocational Transitions Program:
The Vocational Transitions class is one of the essential services Emily Griffith offers to refugee and immigrant students. Vocational Transitions focuses students on acquiring the skills needed to be successful in enrolling in and completing the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program of their choice. These bridge classes create direct entry points into CTE programs at EGTC. Upon completing a CTE Certificate, students have access to Emily Griffith Career Coaches as well as robust workforce development services. This end-to-end programming has been highly successful among immigrant and refugee students. As one student said, “Vocational Transitions helped me prepare to interact with my teacher and classmates by practicing my language in a real setting."