A Learn and Work in Utah Program Success Story
By Lynn Blamires Content Writer for My Local Utah
The Learn and Work in Utah Program offers you a chance to reroute your career, tuition-free, to change to that career you have always dreamed about. The “https://business.utah.gov” initiative was launched by the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) and its Talent Ready Utah team, in partnership with the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE).
Learn & Work in Utah is a state-wide program that provides tuition assistance for short-term programs at post-secondary institutions for unemployed or underemployed individuals.
Over 100 Programs Available
This tailored approach prepares students for higher-paying and more stable, high-impact careers and matches them with companies looking for much-needed skills and expertise. More than 100 programs are available that can help you find a new career path.
A success story
Mary Vonk retired from 20 years’ service as Fire Department Engineer and Paramedic with West Valley City. Driving a fire truck was quite the experience and she loved it, but after 20 years of strenuous work including 12 years work in a hospital ER, she was ready for things to slow down a little.
Born in Charleston, South Carolina to a Marine dad and a Navy mom, Mary lived the life of a military family. She truly did see the world and she learned a lot as a Marine Corpsman
After a year of retirement, she realized that things had slowed down way too much. She knew that she had many more productive years, but she wasn’t ready to jump back into the fire, so to speak.
She learned about the Learn and Work in Utah Program and wanted to go into nursing. Her Paramedic experience along with her work in the ER made her an excellent candidate for a nursing degree.
Living in Grantsville, Mary looked into how the Tooele Extension of Utah State University tied into the Learn and Work Program. She learned that the program offered certification as an LPN. Tuition was paid by the program along with the required books and class fees.
Mary earned her degree in nine months and now she is working with the same university to become a fully certified Registered Nurse. She said that it was a great experience and she bonded well with the instructors. She worked hard and was rewarded with the honor of being Student of the Month.
The Learn and Work in Utah Program made a big difference to Mary. She will eagerly recommend it to people who need a hand up to improving their position in the work place.
Universities stand ready to help you
Each institution may handle registration and qualifications differently. Go to https://inutah.org/learn-work. Go first to the list of colleges and universities. Pick one and see what they have to offer. Instructions to qualify for the training and to receive scholarships offered by the program covering tuition, books, supplies, and program fees are spelled out.
Don’t wait, act now
Acting now will put you closer to being in the field you most enjoy working. Instead of mourning the loss of a job, get involved in training for the one you want. Mary found that working with the instructors was as fun as learning the skills that launched her into her desired position in the work place.