ActivateWork’s Founder and CEO, Helen Young Hayes, was interviewed for an article by University Business about how career and technical education (CTE)—and apprenticeships, in particular—are evolving to equip workers with cybersecurity, software development, and IT skills traditionally associated with degree-granting institutions. Read the original article here.

High tech CTE: How higher ed can capitalize on an emerging market

By: Alcino Donadel
Published August 5, 2025, by University Business

A woman in a darkly lit room surrounded by monitors and data panels.

Career and technical education—and apprenticeships, in particular—are evolving to equip workers with cybersecurity, software development and IT skills traditionally associated with degree-granting institutions.

Institutions that partner with non-degree programs can help more young people succeed in their first jobs and eventually upskill as their careers progress, says Helen Young Hayes, founder and CEO of ActivateWork.

ActivateWork is a Denver-based nonprofit that provides young, underresourced Coloradans with training in emerging digital professions during today’s tight entry-level job market.

“More entry-level jobs that we see today require three years of work experience, so how are our graduates going to get that?” she asks.

“Apprenticeship programs are the way we must come together to adapt and close the experience gap facing many of our learners, whether they come from higher education, four-year degree programs, two-year degree programs or even bootcamps like ours.”

Like other emerging education providers catering to young adults frustrated with the cost and pace of traditional degree-granting institutions, ActivateWork offers one-on-one coaching to help learners gain industry-aligned skills.

Learners who decide to enroll in ActivateWork’s IT apprenticeship programs are offered yearlong on-the-job training while earning up to $53,000, according to Hayes.

“The apprentice is transformed from an entry-level IT help desk worker to a Tier 1 cyber analyst. They are paid by their employer to learn the skills that an employer needs and wants.”

Such paid apprenticeship programs can be crucial socioeconomic vehicles for underresourced Americans balancing day-to-day responsibilities. Nationwide, more than half of all college students struggled to access basic needs in 2023 and 2024. Those who reported resource insecurity were also more likely to experience anxiety and depression, and consider stopping out.

Apprenticeships: A launchpad to degrees?

A 2025 report from the Colorado Wage Outcomes Results Coalition found that ActivateWork learners saw their total adjusted earnings increase by more than 112% on average within two years of enrolling.

Similarly, 93% of workers who completed a Registered Apprenticeship program authorized by the U.S. Department of Labor retained employment and earned an average annual salary of $77,000, according to federal data.

While learners may initially be attracted to the wages that short-term CTE and apprenticeship programs can provide, higher education institutions can eventually benefit from a highly trained workforce interested in pursuing advanced degrees later in life, Hayes says.

“We can bring our higher ed partners individuals who have already experienced workforce success and who otherwise might have never considered going to college.”

Certificates and other short-term credentials offer better returns than a bachelor’s degree in the first decade, but earnings from the latter grow exponentially 15 years after enrollment, according to Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce.

Bachelor’s degrees also lead to more professional opportunities, Hayes says.

“What we found in technology is that some employers still prefer candidates with college degrees,” Hayes says. “Students who want to advance from being a software developer to a department head might benefit from a business degree, which casts a broader net of skills than a technology credential.”

Creative pathways from workforce to higher ed

Colleges and universities can make higher education more accessible to working Americans in three ways:

  • Articulation agreements: Articulation agreements between colleges and CTE providers open the door for credit transfers and stackable credentialing. For example, the University of Colorado awards 12 credits to applicants who have previously completed an ActivateWork software development bootcamp.
  • Credit for prior learning: This framework lets colleges grant credit to applicants for previous work experience or military training. The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers believes credit for prior learning can expand college access, improve retention and increase graduation rates.
  • Encourage employer buy-in: Higher education leaders must work with state leaders to incentivize employers to build apprenticeship pathways that eventually benefit higher education, Hayes says. Colorado announced in January that it will reward employers who claim up to 10 apprentices per year with up to $126,000 in tax credits.

“Everyone will need some form of a postsecondary degree or certificate to be really self-sufficient and thriving in the future of work,” Hayes concludes.

Alcino Donadel is a UB staff writer and first-generation journalism graduate from the University of Florida. He has triple citizenship from the U.S., Ecuador and Brazil.