Emily Griffith Technical College in Denver gets ready to graduate its first students with associate degrees

Emily Griffith Technical College is changing the landscape of higher education across the state of Colorado. The Denver college is getting ready to graduate its first students with an associate degree. It's a first in the school's 110-year history.

"We're expanding the idea of what college is in the state of Colorado," said Kevin Riebau, Emily Griffith Technical College's dean of apprenticeship.

A CBS Colorado crew was there for skills testing day for apprentices at the Denver Joint Electrical Apprenticeship & Training Committee. Students were installing three and four-way switching devices.

"We believe that if someone is engaged in classroom instruction that's a form of higher education and on-the-job training -- you should be earning college credit for that," Riebau said.

As the students improve their skills on the job and in the classroom, they can now earn an associate's degree of applied science through the Emily Griffith Technical College.

Registered apprenticeships allow students to learn while they earn. They can get a certificate of completion for the program, or now they can take a few extra classes to earn the associate's degree.

"By having that degree, if they want to continue down an academic pathway then that can jumpstart them into a higher degree, like a bachelor's degree," Riebau said.

In the classroom, they may learn about code standards and practices, but it could also be about project management or team coordination.

"It allows them to potentially move into higher-paying jobs," Riebau said.

Offering a college degree in a technical trade is the kind of innovation that Emily Griffith herself would be proud of.

The Emily Griffith Foundation will be celebrating women in the trades and technical careers in its fourth annual Celebration of Women in Trades luncheon on Wednesday at the Infinity Park Event Center. CBS Colorado's Kennedy Cook will be the emcee of the event.