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U receives funding to help displaced workers

Programs selected for CARES funding include both short courses and bootcamps.

The University of Utah has received CARES funding through the Learn and Work in Utah grant initiative to enhance its certificate and non-credit programs for displaced workers. These quick and affordable programs enable Utahns to build new and valuable job-ready skills.

The University of Utah recognizes the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Utah workers and businesses and is gaining insight into ways to provide innovative education for those affected. As the state’s flagship university, the U will play a significant role in the state’s economic recovery, said President Ruth Watkins. She noted the U is “assertively developing and offering a range of short-term certificates, credentials and one-year graduate degrees that meet workforce demands and will help return Utahns to work.”

Programs selected for CARES funding include both short courses and bootcamps. In partnership with Pluralsight, Trilogy and CareerStep, the U is offering programs that focus on the skills needed to become a medical assistant, pharmacy technician and medical office manager; short courses in cloud computing, data analytics, data science, programming languages, Adobe Learning and project management; and bootcamps for UX/UI, web development and cybersecurity.

The U also has partnered with SkillUpUtah, whose mission is to equip Utahns with the new skills they need to succeed in the current environment. According to SkillUpUtah, a recent survey conducted by Silicon Slopes found that 61% of Utah employers believe skill development is the single most important thing furloughed or unemployed individuals could be doing right now to increase their likelihood of getting a job, which highlights the importance of this partnership as an additional effort in supporting Utahns during this time of economic hardship.

For more information, visit learnwork.utah.edu.