This spring, STRATA pledged to donate $140,000 to support technology-centered educational programs offered from Uintah Basin Technical College (UBTech) and Utah State University-Uintah Basin (USU). STRATA’s donation will be awarded over a three-year period, giving $25,000 to each school to help fund operational costs, along with $90,000 that will be dedicated to scholarships for students enrolled in the schools.
In recent years, there has been a high demand for more technology-based education which has led both UBTech and USU to enhance their local programs, with help from STRATA’s contributions. In 2017, USU introduced a four-year degree in Technology Systems that builds on their General Technology associate degree. While the program has been in place for a few years, the university announced that this fall will be the first time that they will be introducing a dedicated faculty member in the Uintah Basin for the program. Set to join the local campus in July, this new faculty member will bring to the Basin more than a decade of previous higher education experience in the state of Utah and more than 20 years of industry experience in technology start-ups.
USU’s four-year program is designed to build specific expertise in the technology world and provides specialization in one of six emphasis areas: Information and Computer Technology, Robotics & Automation, Product Development, Technical Management, Quality and Reliability, and Cybersecurity.
“These emphasis areas are the areas that STRATA and other partners have identified as critical for rural workforce development as the State of Utah works to decentralize the workforce from the Wasatch Front to rural Utah,” said USU Uintah Basin Associate Vice President James Y. Taylor.
USU’s program is stackable with UBTech’s Security Technician certificate, allowing students who complete the 900-hour UBTech program to transfer 30 credits towards a degree at USU. UBTech launched their IT certificate program in 2018, with STRATA as its primary contributor, and it has been met with a great response from local students – such great response that UBTech has made the decision to extend their classes to their Vernal campus this fall.
“The STRATA Networks partnership at UBTech provides many of our friends, family and neighbors; the students at UBTech, with a great opportunity to earn highly recognized program certificates, which position them for high paying jobs and exciting careers in many IT fields,” said UBTech President Aaron K. Weight.
STRATA has always been a big supporter of higher education, offering a robust scholarship program that awards traditional and non-traditional students and, according to STRATA’s CEO/General Manager Bruce Todd, they are looking forward to expanding upon those efforts with programs that center around their industry.
“As a local Cooperative, we’re always looking for ways to contribute back to the community that we are a part of and investing in our youth through education is one of the best ways that we can do that,” stated Manager Todd. “We hope students will graduate from these programs with the knowledge and experience they need to enter a technology-driven workforce, and ultimately, we hope that knowledge remains here in the Uintah Basin to benefit our community.”
Students can enroll in both programs today. Those interested can find out more by contacting USU-Uintah Basin and UBTech.
For questions on this press release, contact Tyler Rasmussen at 622-5007, or email trasmussen@stratanetworks.com.
