Utah Tech and Pluralsight offer free options for Utah residents to upskill

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With the dramatic rise of Silicon Slopes, it’s clear that technology is booming in Utah. And with an increasing dependence on technology comes a rising need for technology-based education. Utah Tech University is helping fill that need through the Learn & Work in Utah program.

Supported through the Utah System of Higher Education, the Learn & Work in Utah program was designed to help working adults upskill in their job or improve future career options. Utah Tech opted to expand the program by leveraging their existing partnership with technology workforce development company Pluralsight.

Just over 18 months ago, Pluralsight and Utah Tech University teamed up to offer all UT students access to over 7,000 online courses and resources on Pluralsight’s platform. That same access is now available—free of charge—to participants of the Learn & Work program at Utah Tech.

“Our mission as a polytechnic institution is to serve the residents of Utah and meld technology and education,” Chris Guymon, associate provost for academic programs at Utah Tech University said. “The Learn & Work in Utah program has been an excellent way for us to help community members and give back to the state.”

Because Pluralsight’s platform is completely online, students enjoy full flexibility in both their study schedule and pacing. In addition to selecting courses of interest, participants can choose to tap into 20 specialized training tracks focused on high-demand technological fields, ranging from big data to the cloud, network and security engineering to scrum.

Enrolling in the Utah Tech Learn & Work program has significantly bolstered my career, confidence, and overall well-being, even before obtaining certifications.

–Blaine

Although students can choose their own study schedule, a time commitment of between 5 to 10 hours of work per week is recommended.

“It’s designed for anyone in Utah that’s looking to get or improve some technical skills, and it’s built to be flexible and convenient,” Mark Adkins, Utah Tech’s Learn and Work program manager said. “The students who succeed are the ones who make a real commitment of time and effort.”

The qualifications to enroll are simple: hold a high school diploma or its equivalent and be a resident of Utah. As of spring 2023, nearly 300 Learn & Work students were actively enrolled on the Pluralsight platform through Utah Tech, with the most interest shown in CompTIA, Project Management, and Artificial Intelligence.

In addition to free access, upon successfully completing an industry-recognized certification exam, the cost of one exam is eligible for reimbursement by Utah Tech University.

“Attaining an industry certification has granted me credibility in my current role. It has also enhanced my ability to identify ways to enhance our teams’ effectiveness,” Blaine, a former student in the Learn & Work program says. “Enrolling in the Utah Tech Learn & Work program has significantly bolstered my career, confidence, and overall well-being, even before obtaining certifications.”

Because the program is slated to conclude on August 31, 2024, interested people are encouraged to reach out quickly in order to maximize timing.

For more information, visit cares.utahtech.edu or reach out to program manager Mark Adkins at (435) 879-4883 or mark.adkins@utahtech.edu.