Utah House Speaker Advocates for Funding Boost in Technical Education: Empowering Future Generations

In Salt Lake City, Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz is pushing for more hands-on career training for high school students. His goal? To help them step straight into the workforce after they graduate.

Recently, Schultz introduced a bill to provide grants to schools, allowing them to set up “catalyst centers.” These centers focus on Career and Technical Education (CTE), giving students real-world learning experiences in fields like pharmacy technology, drone operation, and graphic design.

Schultz emphasized the importance of teaching these skills in high schools. “They’re super important,” he noted. This initiative aims not only to meet industry needs but also to create more career pathways for students.

Statistics from the Utah State Board of Education reveal that 98.5% of students who complete a CTE program graduate, significantly higher than the statewide average of 88.8%.

The idea for these catalyst centers is inspired by the Davis Catalyst Center, which Schultz visited recently. He was impressed by the involvement of local industries and the educators who came from those fields, eager to share their knowledge.

This bill also aims to simplify the process for some individuals to teach specialized classes by removing certain licensing requirements. Schultz is seeking $65 million to kickstart these programs, followed by $150,000 each year to maintain them. The House Education Committee has already given the bill a thumbs-up, and it will soon go to the full House for a vote.