Construction Education Foundation

06/02/2026

Trade Tuesday: Wind Turbine Technician

Powering the future of energy.

Wind Turbine Technicians inspect, maintain and repair turbines - keeping renewable energy systems running safely and efficiently.

What it takes:
✔ Mechanical, electrical and diagnostic skills
✔ Ability to work at heights
✔ Strong problem-solving and safety focus

💰 Average salary: $61,770/year in Colorado
📈 Range: Up to $90,300/year

CEF helps students explore hands-on careers like this and build the skills needed for in-demand industries.

Wind Turbine Service Technicians – Inspect, diagnose, adjust, or repair wind turbines. Perform maintenance on wind turbine equipment including resolving electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic malfunctions.

05/29/2026

Build the Future with CEF

Invest in Colorado’s next generation of skilled professionals through CEF’s Cornerstone Sponsorship Program.

With multiple partnership levels, your support helps connect students to hands-on training, real-world experiences, and career pathways—while also increasing your company’s visibility and engagement in workforce development.

Together, we can build a stronger future for the construction industry.

👉 Learn more.

05/26/2026

Trade Tuesday: Tile / Wood Installer

Tile and wood installers bring precision and creativity to every project - transforming floors, walls and surfaces with durable, high-quality finishes.

What it takes:
✔ Attention to detail & coordination
✔ Measuring, cutting, and shaping materials
✔ Using hand and power tools
✔ Reading blueprints and layouts

💰 Average salary: $58,140/year in Colorado
📈 Range: Up to $82,280/year

CEF helps students build hands-on skills for careers like this in the skilled trades.

Some skills needed to become floor and tile installers and finishers include manual dexterity, eye-hand coordination, physical fitness, and a good sense of balance and color. Primary skills related to this occupation include: install carpet, linoleum, tile, or related material onto floors or walls;....

05/19/2026

Trade Tuesday: Truck Driver

Truck drivers keep construction projects - and the entire economy - moving. From hauling materials to job sites to navigating complex delivery routes, this trade is essential to everything we build.

It's a career that demands responsibility, safety awareness and serious skill behind the wheel. A Commercial Driver's License (CDL) is required.

Key skills include:
✔ Maneuvering and operating tractor-trailer combinations
✔ Securing and inspecting cargo for transport
✔ Following state and federal transportation regulations
✔ Maintaining accurate logs of hours and vehicle status
✔ Performing pre-trip safety and equipment checks

💰 Average salary: $59,740/year in Colorado
📈 Range: Up to $77,020/year

At CEF, we help students explore in-demand careers like this and build the foundation for a successful future in the skilled trades.

A heavy truck driver drives a tractor-trailer combination or a truck with a capacity of at least 26,000 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) and may be required to unload truck. This type of truck driver position requires a commercial drivers’ license.

05/14/2026

Stand Out Stories: Building Homes, Building Futures

“This isn’t a typical high school experience.”

At Boulder’s APEX campus, students are gaining hands-on experience in a working modular construction factory - building homes for real families while developing skills in OSHA safety, blueprint reading, and quality control.

Since launching in 2024, enrollment has tripled, and students are now mentoring peers while preparing to help set the first homes on-site.

Learn more about this innovative program!

Boulder’s Ponderosa Community Stabilization Project represents a historic partnership between Flatirons (Boulder) Habitat for Humanity, the City of Boulder, and the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD). In an innovative approach to addressing the region’s housing shortage, the project includes ...

05/12/2026

Trade Tuesday: Welder

Welders are the backbone of construction and manufacturing - joining metal components and bringing structural projects to life with skill and precision.

This trade requires sharp focus, strong hand-eye coordination and the ability to work in all kinds of positions and environments.

Key skills include:
✔ Welding in flat, horizontal, vertical and overhead positions
✔ Brazing and soldering metal parts
✔ Reading technical drawings
✔ Operating metal fabricating equipment
✔ Climbing ladders, towers and scaffolding safely

💰 Average salary: $56,130/year in Colorado
📈 Range: Up to $73,250/year

At CEF, students gain the hands-on experience needed to explore careers like this and thrive in the skilled trades.

Use hand-welding or flame-cutting equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.

05/08/2026

Construction Safety Week

Safety is more than a priority - it’s a responsibility we all share.

During Construction Safety Week, we join the industry in focusing on what matters most: making sure everyone goes home safe. This year’s theme - Recognize • Respond • Respect - reminds us to stay aware, take action, and look out for one another on every jobsite.

At CEF, safety starts early. We equip students with the knowledge, training and mindset to build careers rooted in a culture of care.

05/07/2026

National Skilled Trades Day

Today we celebrate the skilled trades professionals who build, maintain and strengthen our communities every day.

From problem-solving to hands-on craftsmanship, their work shapes the world around us - and the future of our workforce.

At CEF, we’re proud to help prepare the next generation through hands-on training and real-world opportunities.

04/30/2026

Help Students Skill Up and Stand Out

CEF is connecting Denver metro students to hands-on construction training, real-world experiences and meaningful career pathways.

Your support makes it possible to expand this impact - bringing curriculum, job shadows and industry connections directly to students.

Together, we can build the next generation of skilled professionals.

Donate today at https://na2.hubs.ly/H059zG00!

04/29/2026

Celebrating Colorado Apprenticeship Month

As Colorado Apprenticeship Month comes to a close, we’re proud to recognize the impact apprenticeships have in connecting learning with real-world careers.

At CEF, we see how hands-on experience, industry connections and career pathways help students take the next step - from the classroom to apprenticeships and beyond. These opportunities allow students to earn while they learn, build in-demand skills and launch meaningful careers in construction.

Colorado continues to lead the way in expanding apprenticeship opportunities, and we’re proud to be part of the pipeline preparing the next generation of skilled professionals.