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SALT LAKE CITY — In order to meet the state's increasing workforce needs, the Utah Department of Workforce Services awarded eight grants, totaling $1 million, to education and industry partnerships.
The grants awarded through Talent Ready Utah were split into different quantities ranging from $72,000 to $249,281.
Horizonte Instruction and Training Center in Salt Lake City received $147,043 in grant money. Principal Joshua Bell said the school will use the grant to fund certified nursing assistant training for its students pursuing their high school diplomas.
"Through this grant, we've provided students access to the entire health care industry," he said. "Whereas they normally wouldn't have access to begin with."
Bell emphasized that the funding will allow students to simultaneously pursue their high school education while seeking an entry-level health care career, meaning they graduate with midlevel experience.
"The sky is the limit," he said. "The concurrency is really important that they are getting the experience while they are in school."
The school sees 2,500 adults and 500 youth use its services a year, according to Bell.
The purpose of the grants is to provide funding for industry and education partnerships, according to Melisa Stark, the employer initiatives program manager at the Utah Department of Workforce Services.
Stark said the grants are given annually, and about 30 organizations applied for the grant through a competitive process.
"(Recipients) have to be working with industry partners … because really it's designed to meet their needs," she said.
She said when industries have workforce changes due to advances in technology or the requirement of new certifications, the grants provide the opportunity for educators to redesign or upgrade their curriculum.
"This helps involve industry in the education process and helps give them a voice in that process and also leading a way to help them develop their own workforce," she said.
This year's grant recipients came from a wide variety of industries, according to Stark, including aviation, water management and information technologies.
She said the development of training programs creates a "pipeline of youth" to pursue these professions.
Charles Ainscough, administrator at the Utah CNA Training Centers, which provide training for Horizonte, said there's a "huge" demand for certified nursing assistants in Utah.
"The grant money means we're able to provide training for students who wouldn't otherwise be able to get into the program," he said. "The money is integral in being able to meet the demands for employers in getting more CNAs trained and into the workforce."
However, students' educational pursuits don't stop after they've become a certified nursing assistant.
The money is integral in being able to meet the demands for employers in getting more CNAs trained and into the workforce.
–Charles Ainscough, Utah CNA Training Centers
Ainscough said the trainings have led to large portions of students being introduced to other professions in the industry.
Weber State University received $249,281, the largest sum, to "create a more flexible schedule and curriculum" in its computer science career pathway in partnership with the Northern Utah Academy for Math, Engineering & Science and the Utah Technology Council.
Morgan School District, in partnership with Davis Technical College, received $150,000 to expand its career and technical education and provide the college's courses to Morgan High School students.
Other recipients of the grant include Itineris Early College High School, Rural Water Association of Utah, Southern Utah University, Toole Technical College and Utah State University. Email: kbojorquez@deseretnews.com Twitter: kimbojorque
