Education and Industry Partners to Creates IT Pathways

Pete CodellaNews

The Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) and Silicon Slopes today announced the IT Pathways Program, a partnership with tech companies and education to create a career pathway to train Utah’s tech workforce.

“The IT Pathways Program will fill critical workforce needs in our state and ensure the continued success of Utah’s tech industry,” said Gov. Gary R. Herbert. “This program will be an important investment—for education, for our growing workforce, for the IT industry and for economic opportunity—in other words, for Utah’s future.”

IT Pathways, part of the state’s Talent Ready Utah initiative, is designed to more effectively align education with pressing workforce pipeline needs. Today’s meeting featured an education panel with Matthew S. Holland, president of Utah Valley University, Deneece G. Huftalin, president of Salt Lake Community College (SLCC), Noelle E. Cockett, president of Utah State University (USU) and Dave R. Woolstenhulme, commissioner of the Utah System of Technical Colleges, discussing strategies to prepare Utah students to enter the workforce.

“Tech companies play a major role in Utah’s economy, and we hope to keep it that way,” said Clint Betts, executive director and editor-in-chief at Silicon Slopes. “We’re grateful for the show of support from education and community leaders at this meeting and look forward to the outcomes of this partnership.”

Utah leads the nation in tech job growth. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2016 the state had the greatest percentage of tech job growth in the nation at 7.69 percent. Careers in software and IT represent more than 68,000 jobs among more than 4,000 companies. The IT Pathways program is designed to help ensure the continued growth and success of Utah’s tech industry for generations to come.

For more information about the IT Pathways Program and other state workforce initiatives visit www.talentreadyutah.com.