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Utah Valley University is seeking students for free classes in its Learn & Work in Utah program.

Learn & Work in Utah, offered at postsecondary institutions statewide, is for unemployed or underemployed individuals and is continuing this fall with 10 different programs taught at Utah Valley University.

The program is a joint effort by the Governors Office of Economic Development and the Utah System of Higher Education. The training is primarily for displaced, unemployed or furloughed workers or those whose jobs are vulnerable due to economic conditions. However, anyone wanting to renew their skills or learn new ones may apply.

Just participating in class discussions helped me feel more like a normal person, said Jon Spell, who was laid off in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Spell completed the data analytics program offered at UVU and found a new position at a local software company.

The professor was very encouraging and supportive, far beyond what I would expect from a typical college teacher. The whole class experience definitely boosted my confidence and enabled me to apply for jobs that I did not consider myself qualified for previously, Spell said.

Since fall 2020, more than 2,500 people have applied to courses at UVU through Learn & Work in Utah, with 915 accepted. Of those people, 64% had no prior relationship with UVU, and all applicants who were unemployed at the time were accepted. The average completion rate in the top five courses offered was 88%.

Running these programs is an intense effort, but we have been amazed and frankly humbled by the impact that our programs and outstanding faculty have had on the careers and lives of nearly a thousand Utah workers and their families, said Shawn Neider, director of UVU Executive Education. Its been a privilege to work with GOED and USHE we cant say enough about them for making it all possible. Our staff is excited about providing new skill enhancement and career advancement opportunities for hundreds of new students again this year.

After completing the data analytics program as part of the Learn & Work program at UVU, Mitzi Fox said, I landed the job of my dreams.

Funded by the CARES Act, the Learn & Work program offered free, short-term training to workers displaced by COVID-19 and to those looking to improve their career prospects. Fox expressed gratitude for how much she learned through Learn & Work, emphasizing that it gave her the confidence she needed to apply for a position that I thought was way above me.

It wasnt long after completing her program that Fox was offered a senior position at a financial firm. As an annuity operations specialist, Fox will oversee distribution, marketing and IT and help bring new annuity products to the public sector.

Foxs participation in the Learn & Work program has improved her professional skill set and increased her confidence in her own capabilities. She notes with pride that taking the data analytics program and landing a better job has significantly increased her earnings.

Lenora Chase described herself as being in a bit of a rut when she was unable to find work after losing her job to the impacts of COVID-19. Despite being an experienced software engineer who had owned her own business, she said, Chase discovered that contracts were no longer available and the companies that were hiring were looking for experience she didnt have. Thats when she found the Learn & Work Program at UVU.

For Chase, the software testing program offered through UVU Executive Education was ideal because, as she explains, It covered everything I had largely skipped over during my career as an independent developer. She reports that the instructors assured us that they would provide us with everything we needed to know in order to acquire a QA (quality analyst) position upon completion. And according to Chase, the class delivered on that promise.

As a participant in the program, Chase emphasizes that her class was integral in helping her land her current job. During my first interview, she said, I used everything I had learned from the program to answer many questions I would not have been prepared for otherwise. I was also given multiple tests to demonstrate my knowledge on the spot and was very proud of my performance each time.

In her new position as a QA specialist, Chase reports that she is enjoying the comfort, peace of mind and financial stability I had been seeking for a very long time.

This fall, Learn & Work in Utah programs offered at UVU include:

Qualified applicants are accepted and placed as they apply until the programs are filled, so interested individuals are encouraged to apply early. The application deadline has been extended to Saturday.

For more information on eligibility, requirements, course information and how to apply, visit the UVU Learn & Work in Utah page at http://uvu.edu.

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