The Polis administration on Thursday announced $27 million in grants to scores of entities under a program aimed at helping to connect more Coloradans to high-paying jobs.

All told, 46 groups received anywhere between $50,000 and $7 million from the Opportunity Now Colorado grant program, which aims to support the creation and expansion of “innovative” workforce and talent development initiatives across the state.

The grants promote in-demand, high-skill, and high-wage occupations, the governor’s office said. 

“Across the state, employers are looking to hire the top talent that Colorado is known for. The Opportunity Now Colorado grant recipients announced today will help Coloradans develop the skills and experience our growing industry partners need and unlock access to good paying jobs,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a news release.

The overarching goal is to develop Colorado’s workforce by having the recipients build long-term partnerships between educational institutions, industry leaders, and companies, the governor’s office said. 

“Innovative partnerships between educational institutions and employers have proven that modern apprenticeship and on-the-job training programs create solid career pathways. These Opportunity Now Colorado grant recipients will foster more of these opportunities at the regional level and contribute to a strong economy that works for everyone,” said Eve Lieberman, executive director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. 

Here are the recipients:

Scale grants, where the money is intended to “scale evidence-based practices in education and workforce development that meet employer needs and increase economic mobility. 

• AdvanceEDU – $1,154,000

• BuildStrong Academy of Colorado –  $749,000

• Relay Graduate School of Education –  $2,408,000

• St. Vrain Valley Schools –  $7,000,000

• Western States College of Construction –  $3,363,000

Seed grants, which seek to spur innovation in education to employment and workforce development 

• Arizona State University in partnership with 8 school districts, primarily in rural areas – $525,806

• CareerWise Colorado –  $944,000

• Colorado River BOCES  –  $1,497,000

• Colorado State University Pueblo –  $1,397,000

• Family Health West Foundation –  $1,560,000

• La Plata County Economic Development Alliance –  $1,246,000

• Northeast Colorado Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) –  $1,497,000

• Second Chance Center, Inc. –  $977,000

• Tepeyac Community Health Center –  $1,097,000

Planning grants, which support planning, community and employer research, and partnership development in initial development phase of a program. The grants are around $50,000.

• Aurora Public Schools

• Boys & Girls Clubs of the San Luis Valley

• Build Pagosa Inc.

• Campo School District RE-6

• Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO)

• Clayton Early Learning

• Colorado Institute of Family Medicine

• Colorado Mountain College Foundation (Fiscal agent on behalf of Colorado Mountain College)

• Colorado Safety-Net Collaborative

• CrossPurpose

• Defined, LLC

• Education Strategy Group

• Energy Resource Colorado

• La Veta School District RE-2

• Mancos School District RE-6

• Montessori Collective

• Morgan County School District

• Mountain Family Health Centers

• National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement, Inc.

• New America College

• Pikes Peak BOCES

• Pikes Peak State College

• Public Education & Business Coalition

• SkillUp Coalition

• Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative

• TASCC LLC.

• Teach by Tech, Inc

• The Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce

• Treeline Pass (TLP)

• Western Colorado University

• YouthPower365

• Zivaro, Inc