PUEBLO, Colo. (KOAA) — A new $31.8 million facility at Colorado State University (CSU) Pueblo aims at tackling two major workforce shortages in southern Colorado, teachers and engineers.
University leaders, state officials and students gathered Wednesday to cut the ribbon on the Technology, Education and Engineering Building, a renovated space designed to prepare students for careers in education, engineering and transportation technology.
The investment comes as rural Colorado continues to face significant teacher shortages. State data shows rural districts have nearly double the teacher vacancy rate compared with non-rural areas.
For students like Bella Bethel, the mission hits close to home.
Bethel, a senior education major at CSU Pueblo, grew up in Pueblo West and says she chose to study education in part because she wants to make a difference in her own community.
“When I pursued an education degree, I thought Pueblo would be a good place to start that change,” said Bethel.
She plans to student teach in Pueblo School District 60, where she says some students still struggle to access the resources they need to succeed.
“Kids that don’t have the right resources or aren’t given the right resources, they fall under the benchmark,” said Bethel. “That’s why I picked District 60.”
University leaders say the new building is designed to strengthen the region’s workforce pipeline by training students locally and encouraging them to stay in southern Colorado after graduation.
“What we’re doing here is providing students with the ability to make an impact within their own communities,” said Gail Mackin, interim president of Colorado State University Pueblo, during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The facility houses engineering labs, a transportation technology institute and a curriculum center for future educators.
For engineering students, the building also marks a return after years of disruption. About five years ago, engineering programs were moved out during renovations, and later an ice machine fire forced students out of another building, spreading classes across campus.
George James, a Pueblo native and former engineering student, remembers the older space before the renovation.
“It wasn’t very exciting to be in here. This building was pretty bleak,” he said.
James now runs an artificial intelligence data analytics business and says the new facility represents more than just a renovated building.
“Engineering is the last piece of the puzzle to bring technology to humanity, and I think that’s beautiful,” he said.
Bethel says she hopes to student teach at either Haaff or Park View Elementary in District 60 and plans to stay in Pueblo after graduating.
“I feel like it’s a good beginning, but there’s a lot more to go,” she said.
University leaders say the long-term goal is not just graduating students, but keeping them in southern Colorado to help address workforce shortages across the region.
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