Adams County Education Consortium

What Adams County Education Consortium does

Adams County Education Consortium (ACEC) is a nonprofit workforce-development convener founded in 2005 and headquartered in Thornton, Colorado. The organization serves as the only entity bridging all seven Adams County K-12 school districts (Adams 12 Five-Star Schools, Adams 14, District 27J, Strasburg 31J, Bennett 29J, Mapleton 1, Westminster Public Schools) plus Pinnacle Charter School, collectively reaching approximately 85,000-90,000 students. ACEC's core products are event-based career exposure programs — the annual 8th Grade Career Expo engaging 5,000-5,500 students at Riverdale Regional Park, the Apprenticeship Fair reaching 500-600 high school juniors and seniors, and the Classroom to Career Symposium engaging 400 students at Front Range Community College — supplemented by pre-apprenticeship credentialing programs in construction, healthcare, IT, and manufacturing, near-peer mentorship programs with DU and CU Denver, and four annual Community Forums.

The business model is membership-driven and nonprofit-funded. K-12 districts pay $1.25 per pupil annually, providing executive board seats, working board seats, and access to all events. Industry partners, city partners (Thornton, Westminster, Northglenn, Brighton), and nonprofit partners pay tiered annual membership fees for board representation, event sponsorship, and pipeline access. Additional revenue comes from individual and organizational donations, including program-designated contributions to the Apprenticeship Fair, Career Expo, Classroom to Career, and ACMCYA awards. ACEC also serves as fiscal agent for the Adams County Scholarship Foundation, supporting 120 students through 4-5 years of college education in partnership with Goodwill Youth Services.

The organization operates with a small core staff of 2-5 (Executive Director Letia Frandina, appointed December 2021, and Program Director Andrea Autobee-Trujillo, appointed 2019) and is governed by an Executive Board comprising district superintendents and COOs, plus a Working Board of CTE directors and counselors. ACEC addresses documented regional workforce challenges: Adams County's 77% graduation rate (below the state 81.9% average), only 38% of adults 25+ holding an associate's degree or higher, and the lowest college-entrance and highest non-return rates in recent state history. The organization's competitive position rests on its structural role as the unified convener across K-12, higher education (Front Range Community College, CU Denver, DU, MSU Denver), municipal, and industry stakeholders — a position no other entity in the region occupies.

Name

Adams County Education Consortium

Legal name

Adams County Education Consortium

Website

https://adamscountyeducation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Adams County Education Consortium is a nonprofit convener connecting all seven Adams County K-12 school districts (85,000+ students) with higher education, city, and industry partners to deliver career exposure events, pre-apprenticeship credentialing, scholarship coordination, and post-secondary pathway programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development and Career Readiness Services

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Educational Support Services (6117), Apprenticeship Training (611513)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Work-Based Learning Programs (Internships, Apprenticeships, Community-Based Instruction) (EDAKANAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Workforce Development Programs (WIOA/One-Stop Career Centers) (EDAAAOAA), Workforce Development & Continuing Education Divisions (Noncredit) (EDAHADAG)

Keywords

• Workforce development services
• Career readiness programs
• K-12 education partnerships
• Apprenticeship coordination
• Scholarship administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Thornton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. K-12 School District Membership Fees: Annual membership fees for school districts calculated at $1.25 per pupil from the previous year. Includes executive board seat, working board seat, and admission for all 10th-12th graders to Classroom to Career, all 8th graders to Career Expo, and all 11th-12th graders to Apprenticeship Fair.
2. City Partner Membership: Annual city partnership memberships with tiered benefits including executive board seats, event sponsorship recognition, table sponsorships, and complimentary booth registration at three ACEC events.
3. Industry Partner Membership: Annual industry membership fees providing executive board seats, event sponsorship recognition at Career Expo, Classroom to Career, and Apprenticeship Fair.
4. Scholarship Coordination Services: Operating as fiscal agent and student support coordinator for Adams County Scholarship Foundation. Partners with Goodwill Youth Services to support 120 students through college education with continuous support.
5. Donations: Individual and organizational donations accepted with options to direct contributions to specific programs including Apprenticeship Fair, Career Expo, Classroom to Career Symposium, and ACMCYA awards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Adams County Education Consortium coordinates and delivers career-readiness programming for middle and high school students across Adams County, Colorado, by convening all seven school districts, higher education institutions, municipal governments, and industry partners. It runs large-scale annual events (8th Grade Career Expo, Apprenticeship Fair, Classroom to Career Symposium), coordinates pre-apprenticeship credentialing programs in construction/healthcare/IT/manufacturing, administers scholarship programs as fiscal agent for Adams County Scholarship Foundation, and facilitates near-peer mentorship programs with university partners.

Product overview

Adams County Education Consortium offers a portfolio of workforce readiness programs and services for middle and high school students in Adams County, Colorado. The organization operates as a convener of seven school districts, industry partners, higher education institutions, and municipal governments. Core offerings include the 8th Grade Career Expo (annual career exposure for 5,500+ students), Apprenticeship Fair (alternative pathway exploration for 500-600 high schoolers), Classroom to Career Symposium (workshops and networking for 400 students), Pre-Apprenticeship Programs in construction/healthcare/IT/manufacturing, near-peer mentorship programs with DU and CU Denver, scholarship coordination serving 120 students annually, and Community/School Counselor Forums for professional development. The Consortium functions as a program coordinator and fiscal agent rather than a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 8th Grade Career Expo Annual career exposure event for approximately 5,500 8th grade students from 8 school districts, creating student exposure to diverse career opportunities in an open house format with booths across exhibit hall, outside space, and Waymire Dome at Riverdale Regional Park.
• Apprenticeship Fair Annual event enabling 500-600 high school juniors and seniors to explore apprenticeship and alternative career pathway opportunities directly with employers and community colleges. Co-hosted with the Adams County Workforce and Business Center.
• Classroom to Career Symposium Annual symposium at MSU where approximately 400 Adams County high school students engage with industry professionals to gain career and social skills aligned with CDE essential skills graduation requirements in a networking environment.
• CU Denver and Adams County Healthcare Student Symposium Symposium co-created with CU Denver for students from multiple Adams County districts to hear from undergraduate students on relevant health profession topics and spark interest in pursuing healthcare careers.
• Community Forum Four annual forums hosted by ACEC to highlight industry professional practices, enabling industry, K-12, higher education, nonprofit, and government agencies to dialogue and share ideas on how to best support each other.
• School Counselor Forum Half-day forum for all counselors and CTE instructors in Adams County, including a feedback survey to assess needs and gather input on pathways and programming.
• DU Mentorship Program Partnership program between University of Denver and an Adams County school district facilitating near-peer relationships and engaging high school students in post-secondary preparation, including the DU Biomedical Mentorship Program.
• Pre-Apprenticeship Programs High school industry credentialing programs in construction, healthcare, IT, and manufacturing, connecting students to career opportunities in high-demand industries through partnerships with school districts.
• Adams County Mayors' and Commissioners' Youth Awards Annual awards program coordinated and administered by ACEC as fiscal agent, including nomination process and ceremony for Adams County students who have overcome adversity.
• Scholarship Program ACEC serves as fiscal agent and student support coordinator for the Adams County Scholarship Foundation, partnering with Goodwill Youth Services to support 120 students through 4-5 years of college education with regular check-ins and resource guidance to support degree completion.

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Front Range Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partner providing representation on Executive Board (Dean of Instruction April Menzies). Partners on Classroom to Career Symposium venue and educational pathway development. Supports credentialing alignment between secondary and post-secondary education.
• Goodwill Youth ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner supporting scholarship coordination. Engages 120 students with continuous support for 4-5 years of college education including regular check-ins and resource guidance to support degree completion.
• University of Denver (DU)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacilitating a partnership between DU and one school district to facilitate near-peer relationships and engage high school students in taking steps toward post-secondary opportunities. Also supports DU Biomedical Mentorship Program for high school students.
• CU DenversupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-creating a symposium style format for students from multiple districts to hear from undergraduate students on relevant health profession topics and spark interest in pursuing healthcare careers.
• MSU Denver (Metropolitan State University)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts annual Classroom to Career Symposium venue. Provides higher education pathway connections for Adams County students.
• Adams 12 Five-Star SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore member district with representation on both Executive Board (Lee Peters, Executive Director of High Schools) and Working Board (Allison Lusero Hoffman, Director of Counseling; Kristi Weaver, Director of CTE).
• Adams 14 School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore member district with representation on Working Board (Ron Hruby, Director of CTE). Serves students in community facing significant workforce development needs.
• District 27JcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore member district with Board President Will Pierce (Superintendent) serving on Executive Board. Working Board representation from Michael Burke, Director of Post Secondary and Workforce Readiness.
• Westminster Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore member district with Board Vice President James Duffy (COO) on Executive Board. Working Board representation from Mario Ortiz, Future Center Career Coach.
• Pinnacle Charter SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharter school member with Board Treasurer Jeremy Jimenez on Executive Board. Working Board representation from Matthew Field, Post-Secondary Coordinator.
• Mapleton Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore member district with Working Board representation from Chris Byrd, Director of Career & Technical Education.
• Strasburg School District 31JcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore member district with Superintendent Kelly Bongard on Executive Board.
• Bennett School District 29JcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore member district with Working Board representation from Nick Ophaug, Assistant Principal.
• Adams CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty government partner. Adams County Commissioners' 8th Grade Career Expo named in recognition of county support. County projected to be largest in Denver-metro region with 840,000 population in 20 years.
• City of ThorntoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity partner member with representation on county committees. One of three major cities in Adams County partnership program.
• City of WestminstercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity partner member with representation on county committees. Co-host of Apprenticeship Fair at Pete Mirelez Human Services Center, 11860 Pecos St, Westminster.
• City of NorthglenncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity partner member with representation on county committees.
• City of BrightonsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity partner supporting Consortium activities. Host location for Career Expo at Riverdale Regional Park, 9755 Henderson Road, Brighton.
• Alpine BanksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner providing thought partnership for student and industry impact. Board Secretary Charlie Kercheval serves as President of Alpine Bank.
• FirstBanksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner supporting workforce development initiatives.
• GeotechsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner participating in workforce development and career pathway programming.
• Centura Health / St. Anthony North HospitalsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare industry partner supporting career exposure in health professions. Part of Adams County Healthcare Student Symposium programming with CU Denver.
• Adams County Workforce and Business CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of annual High School Apprenticeship & Employment Fair with ACEC. Enables hundreds of juniors and seniors to learn about non-traditional career pathways from business professionals.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Apprenticeship Colorado (CDLE): State initiative promoting apprenticeship and work-based learning across Colorado. Directly relevant to ACEC's apprenticeship fair and pre-apprenticeship programming, representing the statewide public-sector ecosystem that supports and competes for the same employer relationships.
• Colorado Workforce Development Council: Statewide policy and convening body for Colorado's workforce system. ACEC already partners with the Adams County Workforce and Business Center; the state council is the higher-level ecosystem participant shaping the same funding and policy environment ACEC operates within.
• SkillsUSA: National nonprofit serving middle-school, high-school, and college students preparing for careers in trade, technical, and skilled service occupations. Comparable target population and trades focus, with career expo and credentialing components overlapping ACEC's programs.

Emerging players

• Big Shoulders Fund: Chicago-based nonprofit that convenes K-12 schools, higher education, and employers to build career pathways for urban students. Operates in a different geography but follows the same multi-stakeholder convener model as ACEC.

Broad incumbents

• Jobs for the Future: National nonprofit driving workforce and education transformation through intermediary roles with districts, employers, and state agencies. Comparable to ACEC in its role as a convener/backbone organization, but at national scale.
• Year Up: National workforce-development nonprofit providing training, credentials, and internships to young adults. Comparable mission of bridging education-to-employment gaps, though focused on older youth and operating with a significantly larger footprint than ACEC.
• NAF (National Academy Foundation): National nonprofit that supports career academies in high schools, providing industry-aligned curriculum, work-based learning, and employer engagement. Operates at much larger scale than ACEC and overlaps directly in career-pathway programming for high schoolers.

Direct peers

• Denver Public Schools CareerConnect: DPS program that connects Denver students with industry career exploration, internships, and credentialing. Operates in the same Denver-metro market as ACEC and runs analogous career-pathway programming for a similarly large student population.
• CareerWise Colorado: Colorado-based youth apprenticeship nonprofit that partners with K-12 districts, higher education, and employers to build work-based learning pathways. Closely comparable to ACEC in geography, mission, and apprenticeship-fair programming.

Regional players

• Pikes Peak Workforce Center: Workforce development organization serving El Paso County, Colorado. Comparable in mission (youth career exposure, employer matching, apprenticeship promotion) but operates in a different Colorado region than ACEC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ACECareerReadiness
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adams-county-education-consortium-acec-
• Instagraminstagram.com/adamscountyeducationconsortium

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Adams County Education Consortium