- Utah's APEX Center Grant Program allocateed $100M to 29 school districts and charter schools across the state.
- The initiative enhances career and technical education programs, inspired by Davis Catalyst Center.
- Weber School District received the largest grant, $25M, for industry-aligned learning programs.
SALT LAKE CITY — Continuing a statewide trend of merging industry and education, the Utah System of Higher Education on Thursday announced the dispersal of $100 million to 29 districts and charter schools around the state to expand access to profession-based education for K-12 students.
Established through HB447 during the 2025 legislative session, the Catalyst Center Grant Program — now called the APEX Center Grant Program — establishes and funds expanded career and technical education, or CTE, programs in schools, often called "catalyst centers."
The legislation, sponsored by Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, was inspired by Schultz's visit to the Davis Catalyst Center.
"We need to find ways to get kids off of their cellphones, get them interacting and get them doing things with their hands and learning these types of skills," Schultz told the House Education Committee in 2025 when pushing his legislation. "And I think this is the perfect program for that to happen."
Opened in 2022, the center was dubbed a first-of-its-kind, state-of-the-art facility centered around CTE in the Beehive State.
Examples of educational pathways offered through the Davis Catalyst Center include:
- Computer Science (cybersecurity, advanced game design)
- Unmanned Systems
- Digital Entertainment and Media Production (audio production, graphic design, video production)
- Business, Marketing and Entrepreneurship
- Culinary Arts
- Medical Assisting
- Pharmacy Technician
Additionally, the center enables students to work on advanced projects through partnerships with real-world businesses and organizations such as Epic Games, Adobe, Intermountain Healthcare, Hill Air Force Base and many others.
The initiative builds on this model, engaging students in industry-aligned, project-based learning tied to specific career tracks.
"This program reflects the strong collaboration between Utah's education and workforce partners to create clearer pathways for students," Geoffrey Landward, Utah commissioner of higher education, said in a statement. "Through Talent Ready Utah and APEX, we are connecting education and industry so students can move more seamlessly from high school into certificates, degrees and employment while supporting the state's workforce needs."
To ensure grant proposals were redundant rather than complementary to existing programs, state higher education officials and Talent Ready Utah collaborated with the Utah State Board of Education to administer the funds.
Weber School District received the largest single allotment at $25 million, followed by Davis, Canyons, Cache County and Murray school districts.
A full list of local education agencies that received grant money can be found here.
In addition to grant awards, partners are developing "shared infrastructure to support long-term implementation," including a statewide Catalyst Center website, a business-to-education matchmaking platform, coordinated outreach and marketing and public-facing dashboards to track outcomes, according to the Utah System of Higher Education.
"At (Utah State Board of Education), our priority is ensuring every Utah student graduates with strong academic preparation and a clear path forward," said Molly Hart, Utah state superintendent of public instruction. "The APEX Center Grant Program gives local schools the ability to connect learning to real opportunities so students can explore their interests, build meaningful skills and make informed decisions about what comes next. In partnership with USHE and industry leaders, we are bringing schools and postsecondary education into alignment so students are better prepared for their next step, whatever it may be."
The grant is administered by the board and supported through close collaboration with the Utah System of Higher Education, Talent Ready Utah and various private-sector partners.
