Aug. 26, 2026
Aurora, Colo. – The Community College of Aurora (CCA) is expanding its construction workforce education programs by bringing the former BuildStrong Academy of Colorado into the college as a new program. The newly dubbed CCA BuildStrong Academy offers its own industry-recognized certificate. The integration has prepared CCA to offer new college-accredited credentials in construction in the coming academic years.
This integration builds upon years of collaboration between CCA, BuildStrong Academy of Colorado and local construction industry partners. It expands opportunities for students to receive hands-on construction training while creating pathways to college credentials and future construction programs at CCA.
Before the integration into CCA, Allison Stepnitz was the director of the construction career training organization. When BuildStrong Academy of Colorado first partnered with CCA, we saw an opportunity to do more together than either of us could do alone,
said Stepnitz, now leading the program as CCA’s new Dean of Workforce. Becoming part of the college is the natural next step in that journey. It allows us to expand access to high-quality construction training while connecting students to accredited credentials and clear career pathways. Most importantly, it strengthens our ability to help learners build meaningful careers while meeting the growing workforce needs of the construction industry.
Located at CCA’s CentreTech Campus in the Center for Applied Science and Technology, CCA BuildStrong Academy has a proven record preparing students for careers in construction through hands-on instruction and direct connections with employers. The program’s training model includes classes developed in partnership with construction companies, providing students opportunities to learn real-world, hands-on construction skills through intensive, industry-informed instruction. CCA BuildStrong Academy also connects students directly with employers through career fairs and other workforce engagement opportunities.
Welcoming BuildStrong Academy of Colorado into the Community College of Aurora represents far more than the integration of a program—it is an investment in Colorado’s workforce, our students, and the future of the skilled trades,
said CCA President Dr. Mordecai Brownlee. BuildStrong has demonstrated what is possible when education and industry come together around a shared commitment to opportunity. By bringing that work into CCA, we are strengthening pathways that allow students to gain relevant skills, earn meaningful credentials, and move directly into family-sustaining careers while helping employers address critical workforce needs across our region and state.
CCA and BuildStrong Academy of Colorado have partnered as early as 2017 to share teaching spaces and develop curricula that blend classroom instruction with hands-on training. Bringing BuildStrong Academy into the college formalizes that relationship and creates greater opportunities to connect workforce training with CCA’s broader academic and student-support infrastructure.
Today’s construction market is one of high demand amid a substantial shortage of skilled workers. CCA BuildStrong Academy meets those needs through its established relationships with industry partners. Becoming part of the college builds upon a proven workforce training model, providing students with accessible pathways from hands-on training to college credentials and careers while helping strengthen the skilled workforce Colorado communities and employers depend on.
About the Community College of Aurora
The Community College of Aurora (CCA) provides high-quality instruction and student support services to Aurora, Centennial, and Denver, Colorado. With a vision to aspire to be a college where every student succeeds, CCA is the most diverse college in the State of Colorado. Focused on creating social and economic mobility for its students, the college offers courses on three campuses, online, and through its high school concurrent enrollment programs. For more information, visit www.ccaurora.edu.
Contact
Courtney Butler
Executive Director of Strategic Communications and Special Initiatives
Strategic Communications and Alumni Engagement
P: 303-340-7201 | E: [email protected]