New FutureReady Program To Bring More High Wage Jobs and Skilled Job Training to Southern Utah

From Becki Bronson, SUU Community
& Government Relations

Southern Utah University
(SUU), in partnership with Utah Tech University and Snow College, has forged a
five-year collaboration called FutureReady Utah, to increase high-wage jobs and
skilled job training in the 11 counties of southwest Utah.

FutureReady
Utah connects rural areas to training and increased access to jobs in key
industries that offer high wages, like computer technology, aerospace, advanced
manufacturing, healthcare, finance, and tourism/hospitality. It also offers
free training and workforce development for businesses throughout southern
Utah.

Funded
by the Economic Development Administration (EDA), and supported by rural
chambers of commerce and economic development leaders, the free FutureReady
Utah program works with the region’s three higher education institutions to
develop and deliver needed high-wage job training, while a Regional
Coordination Council (RCC) creates practical pathways that are affordable,
accessible, and serve as short-term entry points to high-wage jobs.

The RCC is made up of more
than 30 economic development agencies, including the Governor’s Office of
Economic Opportunity, Five County Association of Governments, Six County
Association of Governments, Inland Port Authority, Rural Utah Chamber of
Commerce, Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, Small Business Development Center, and
county and municipal economic development directors.

“Connecting our local
business owners to resources and training is vital to guiding communities and
families toward long-term success,” said Melynda Thorpe, assistant vice
president of SUU Workforce and Educational Opportunity and FutureReady Utah
program executive director. “The many agencies coming together to support
FutureReady, including our three regional higher education institutions, shows
just how important this project is to prioritize and champion a bright future
for southwest Utah.”

Who is Part of FutureReady Utah?

In addition to the three
higher education institutions (SUU, Utah Tech, and Snow), FutureReady Utah
includes 16 chambers of commerce, 10 business innovation centers, and two
economic development districts, all located within Beaver, Garfield, Iron,
Juab, Kane, Millard, Piute, Sanpete, Sevier, Washington, and Wayne counties,
along with the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah.

FutureReady
Utah currently rotates lunchtime Business Leader Academy workshops in each of
the 11 counties, broadcasting them at the same time to rural employers
throughout the region. Workshops teach opportunities and barriers for rural
business, costs and causes of turnover, how to lead new generations in the
workplace, and onboarding teams in a way that strengthens job longevity.
Businesses and economic leaders help guide the curriculum on topics they need
and want, and are centered around strategies for economic resilience, business
innovation, and workforce development. These workshops are free and open to
all.

What are the Goals of FutureReady Utah?

The four goals of FutureReady
Utah:

1) Provide business owners with
free, personalized connections to resources to facilitate business growth and
expansion to new markets.

2) Develop short-term educational
pathways to connect skilled employees with high-wage employers.

3) Give free training to local
employers to grow loyal teams and employee retention.

4) Designate FutureReady Utah
Worksites as locations where employers are prepared to meet the demands of an
evolving workforce and economy.

When Did FutureReady Utah Start?

FutureReady Utah was
created in response to a post-pandemic research study, conducted by SUU and
Utah Tech researchers, that examined trends in the southwest Utah workforce.
The study found there was a critical impact on the local workforce from rapid
population growth, subsequent rising housing costs, emerging online work
opportunities, and gaps in high-wage skills attainment in rural areas.

The
FutureReady Worksites programs were created from that study, to provide
practical and successful solutions to those impacts, which, left unaddressed,
create potential for crippling economic impact. Seeing the critical and urgent
nature of these problems, the three higher education institutions collaborated
to design a prescriptive response and to financially match an EDA grant to fund
the $2 million resiliency project.

“We are passionate about
the future of southern Utah, and this extremely important work brings rural
leaders together to help solve the evolving needs of our region’s workforce and
economy,” said Stephen Lisonbee, associate vice president for SUU Community
Outreach and Engagement. “Those of us from southern Utah have seen the rapid
changes and challenges that come with growth. FutureReady Utah is tackling
those challenges head-on, and ensuring that our families in southern Utah can
stay in southern Utah to work, live, and raise their families as these programs
keep our area a safe and economically strong part of our state.”

FutureReady
Utah staff at SUU include Melynda Thorpe as program executive director, Aimee
DiBrienza as training academy administrator, and Susan Palmer as targeted
outreach coordinator. Staff at Utah Tech include Kyle Wells, Wyatt Anderson,
and Benjamin Welch as targeted outreach coordinators. At Snow College, Kenley
Steck serves as a targeted outreach coordinator.

For
more information about FutureReady Utah, or to get involved in monthly
workshops, email [email protected].