Heather Lowry and UBTech colleagues presented the college’s workforce and training offerings to attendees at the Uinta Basin Collaborative meeting in Duchesne County, highlighting expanded CDL, energy-services and soft-skills programming and state-supported employer training subsidies.

Beau Dalton and Seth Taylor described the college27s commercial driver27s license (CDL) and energy-related courses. Dalton said the CDL day program runs about six weeks and the night program about nine weeks; students are expected to hold a commercial learner27s permit on entry. The courses pair driving instruction with safety certifications such as first aid/CPR, H2S, SafeLand (Veriforce) and hazardous-materials (hazmat) endorsements to prepare students for oil-and-gas and transport jobs.

Seth Taylor described additional energy and operator training: tower and high-voltage programs, lease-operator (pumper) short courses, well-control and drilling supervisor training, and other industry-focused certifications. Brandt Munson and others added that UBTech offers construction, diesel, auto, welding and IT programs both day and night to meet employer scheduling needs.

Lisa Labrum described Custom Fit, the statewide employer training reimbursement program administered through technical colleges. "All Utah paying tax paying businesses can qualify for it," Labrum said, and she explained the application and reimbursement process. She gave an example of a $5,600 employer training expense with a $2,200 reimbursement under the program and noted regional typical reimbursement levels (Labrum said UBTech often uses a 40% support level for employers in the basin).

Lowry described a Workforce Promise that bundles eight short “badges” (oral and written communication, leadership, digital technology, professionalism and work ethic, teamwork and inclusion, critical thinking and problem solving, and career management). "If they complete all 8 badges, then we've made a promise to them that they will not have to pay for this course," Lowry said; employers that hire graduates who still need remediation are invited to send those employees back for follow-up at no charge under the promise.

Ending: College staff invited local employers to sponsor scholarships, to use Custom Fit for incumbent-worker training, and to recruit program graduates; they also promoted an April fine-art auction and a September golf tournament to benefit UBTech scholarships.