Commerce City and Community College of Aurora partner to support education and economic mobility

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – (May 2, 2025) – The City of Commerce City and Community College of Aurora (CCA) are excited to announce the launch of Commerce City Promise, a groundbreaking partnership that gives Commerce City residents free access to short-term credential programs at CCA. The new initiative is designed to offer free education and job training to all Commerce City residents.

Commerce City Promise provides no-cost access to short-term credential programs in high-demand industries, including information technology (IT), construction, logistics, healthcare, manufacturing, and English as a second language (ESL). The selected programs offer high-demand, good paying jobs to help residents advance their careers and address Commerce City’s current and future workforce needs. Any Commerce City resident accepted into an eligible CCA program will be automatically enrolled into Commerce City Promise.

Funded through the city’s Advancing Commerce City Together (ACT) program, which activates federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), this opportunity is designed to remove barriers to education and ensure that all Commerce City residents have access to valuable resources to help them thrive in the workforce.

“At the Community College of Aurora, we believe education is the catalyst for economic mobility and generational change,” said Dr. Mordecai Ian Brownlee, President of the Community College of Aurora. “This innovative Promise Program, built in collaboration with Rocky Mountain Partnership and Gary Community Ventures, reflects our shared vision to meet the needs of Commerce City residents and help students turn possibility into reality. This is more than a program—it’s a promise to invest in people, potential, and prosperity.”

“Commerce City understands that building a strong and skilled workforce is essential to creating lasting economic opportunity, not just for businesses, but for our entire community,” said Jason Rogers, City Manager for Commerce City. “This program helps us invest in our residents’ futures by opening doors to higher education, better jobs, and long-term financial stability. It’s not just about meeting workforce needs, it’s about building a stronger, more prosperous community for everyone.”

CCA is at the forefront of Career and Technical Education (CTE) that helps put learners into in-demand jobs right out of college. This fall, the college is on track to open its new Center for Applied Science and Technology. This building is the school’s first capital project in decades and will be home to cutting-edge technology and resources that offer students hands-on training in vital fields.

“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to breaking down barriers and building pathways to economic mobility for the people of Commerce City. By aligning education, workforce training, and community investment, the CCA x C3 Promise Partnership is a model for how local institutions can come together to create real, lasting opportunities for the community,” said Lisandra Gonzales, CEO of Rocky Mountain Partnership, Cradle to Career.

Registration for the program is open now – learn more at c3gov.com/Promise. To apply for an eligible training program or see the full list of CCA programs, visit ccaurora.edu/apply

ABOUT COMMERCE CITY

As one of Colorado’s fastest growing cities, Commerce City is redefining itself for the next generation, building on historic values of community, industry, agriculture, and family. Centrally located along Colorado’s bustling Front Range, Commerce City is a Quality Community for aLifetime, with 25 miles of trails, a championship golf course, 840 acres of open space and parks, one of the country’s largest soccer complexes and the nation’s largest urban wildlife refuge. Learn more at c3gov.com.