October 31, 2024 -- A new workforce roadmap released this week aims to train, prepare, and inspire the next generation of quantum workers and the general public in Colorado and the Mountain West.

The roadmap, led by the University of Colorado Boulder’s (CU Boulder) CUbit Quantum Initiative and the Research and Innovation Office’s Workforce Innovation Initiative, addresses the predicted growth of Colorado’s quantum economy. The development of the roadmap included representatives from universities, government agencies, school districts, and quantum companies, and was funded by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT).

Key elements of the plan will be activated through several educational institutions, including the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver), government agencies, and companies to build a diverse and inclusive workforce that matches the demands of the quantum industry.

CU Denver’s quantum information technology (QIT) certificate program provides a balance between theory and practice. Fifty percent of the coursework includes instructional laboratories and the curriculum is built to fit the industry’s documented needs. “It is crucial to prepare a diverse workforce that goes beyond quantum computing,” said CU Denver physics professor Martin Huber, PhD. “Our program provides hands-on experience with instrumentation that also supports quantum sensors and quantum communication—both of which are essential elements for quantum information technology.”

Elevate Quantum will be a key part of next steps. In 2023, the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) named Elevate Quantum an official tech hub for quantum information technology. Elevate Quantum is a coalition of 120 organizations, with CU Boulder as a prime contributor, in Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming.

Since that designation, the coalition has secured more than $120 million in funding to grow the quantum industry in Colorado and the Mountain West. “The recent EDA Tech Hub designation for Colorado and the Mountain West region accelerates the need for a comprehensive and actionable education and workforce training strategy,” said Scott Sternberg, executive director of the CUbit Quantum Initiative at CU Boulder. “We are excited to build upon this initial plan in the years ahead through our partnership with Elevate Quantum.”

“This roadmap provides a foundation for the work we are starting,” said Lucy Sanders, co-chair of the Elevate Quantum Workforce Collaborative (EQWC) and founder and executive in residence of the National Center for Women & Information Technology in the College of Engineering and Applied Science at CU Boulder. “The findings contained in this roadmap will help accelerate our work and provide a framework for a regional discussion.”

Quantum companies currently employ about 3,000 people in Colorado, and Elevate Quantum estimates that those numbers could climb to 10,000 within the next decade. This roadmap outlines the steps that need to be taken now to meet the diverse workforce needs of five, ten, and more years. “We’ve been involved in ‘quantum’ for decades at CU Denver,” said Huber. “I have been feeding students into the quantum workforce pipeline since before that was even a term. With the developments across the region, we will now be able to do so at scale.”

Efforts around quantum workforce development began in earnest in Colorado in 2023 with a meeting of more than 200 representatives from across Colorado’s private sector, educational institutions, and other groups. Since then, the plan has developed into a comprehensive document with clear tactics, goals, and outcomes.

Colorado is already a national leader in training some of the employees who will work at these companies. That includes programming in the state’s world-class physics departments and through JILA, a joint research institute between the university and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). “Colorado is home to one of the best workforces in the nation, and this comprehensive quantum roadmap will guide our efforts to prepare skilled workers across the state for the opportunities to come,” said Eve Lieberman, executive director of OEDIT. “This is a key step to connect Coloradans to good-paying jobs and ensure our state continues to lead the way developing this transformational, next-generation technology.”

The quantum workforce roadmap aims to further break down quantum physics and computing in a way that anyone can understand. It calls for more resources for K-12 teachers to help them show their students what quantum physics is and how it’s already a part of their lives with long-established technologies like transistors and lasers.

Involving K-12 in the conversations early is key, said Jody Bennett, work-based learning coordinator in the Boulder Valley School District who was actively involved in the roadmap’s development. “No matter what journey or path a student is on there is a place in quantum,” Bennett said. “I do think K-12 has to be a part of these conversations to be sure the programs we’re building really do have the full [workforce] pipeline. At the end of the day, the earlier we talk about quantum, the sooner we can get more people to jump on that path.”

The report also recommends expanding programs at community colleges to give students that are learning welding, electronics, and programming an introduction to quantum physics. The report emphasizes expanding pathways for women and other groups historically underrepresented in physics to join the quantum industry. “As we look to the future of the quantum industry, it is essential that we build a diverse and inclusive workforce that can meet the demands of this rapidly growing field,” said Susan Schwamberger, chief human resources officer at Quantinuum. “The new quantum workforce roadmap from CU Boulder provides a comprehensive strategy to train and inspire the next generation of quantum professionals, ensuring that Colorado and the Mountain West remain at the forefront of this technological revolution.”

This work was guided by the following organizations:

Boulder Valley School District

Colorado Community College System

Colorado Mesa University

Colorado School of Mines

Colorado State University

Fort Lewis College

Front Range Community College

Infleqtion

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Quantinuum

Sandia National Laboratories

University of Colorado Anschutz

University of Colorado Boulder

University of Colorado Colorado Springs

University of Colorado Denver

University of Colorado System

University of Northern Colorado