Denver International Airport Redoubles Its Efforts Around Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility

DENVER – March 31, 2023 – Denver International Airport (DEN) is moving full speed ahead on the Center of Equity and Excellence in Aviation (CEEA). CEEA is a first-of-its-kind training center, committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce by creating a pipeline for aviation talent. The center was born from DEN’s Vision 100, a strategic plan for the airport’s inevitable growth to 100 million passengers.

Vision 100 consists of four pillars – Empowering Our People, Growing Our Infrastructure, Maintaining What We Have and Expanding Global Connections. CEAA falls under the Empowering our People pillar. This pillar recognizes that people are the greatest asset an organization has, including the people who currently work at DEN and those who want to be part of the aviation industry in the future.

“Through CEEA, we are able to build a talent pipeline that will elevate and strengthen the aviation and infrastructure talent pool nationwide for generations to come,” said DEN CEO Phil Washington. “CEEA will open doors to DEN employees, our community and the world to aviation and infrastructure training, workshops and so much more. We’re proud to be at the forefront of a center that will make a lasting positive impact on our industry.”

CEEA’s three primary functions are: a small business development training academy, a career pathways program and a research and innovation lab.

The 2023 Business Development Training Academy is currently under development and registration is expected to open Summer 2023. The Career Pathways Program has kicked off with the Adopt-a-School Program, offering career exploration and community service support to local area schools. Programming information and updates on the Research and Innovation lab will be announced later this year.

CEEA serves as an accelerator for economic and workforce development and will continue the work toward:

• Expanding access for underserved urban and rural communities
• Increasing the number of people of color and women in the aviation workforce
• Providing aviation industry training opportunities equitably
• Increasing generational wealth through the support of minority and women-owned small businesses

Once open, the center will also serve as a resource for businesses and organizations looking to increase their workforce diversity. The center will provide advice on how to recruit and retain a diverse workforce, as well as training opportunities for employees.

Conceptual renderings of CEEA were revealed in November of last year. The CEEA facility is being constructed within 66,000 square feet of space on Level 4 of the Hotel and Transit Center, easily accessible to the RTD ALine commuter rail to downtown Denver. The focal point of the space will be the Hall of Equity, which will accommodate 300 people for training and educational purposes. Adjacent lecture halls and training rooms will accommodate another 200-300 people. There will also be a pre-function and lobby space with a small café for networking and small group meetings.

Although construction of this space will begin in late 2023, CEEA programming will continue in full force throughout the year.

Learn more about the opportunities available at FlyDenver.com/CEEA.

Denver International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world. DEN is the primary economic engine for the state of Colorado, generating more than $33 billion for the region annually. For more information visit www.FlyDenver.com, check us out on YouTube and Instagram, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Sign up for DEN’s monthly newsletter Nonstop News.

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