Learning in Motion

FEATURESECTION Learning in Motion

Students Fast-track into Careers with New Snow College Work-based Learning Certifications

By Lisa Jane Laird

With new certificates that combine hands-on work experience with classroom training and labs, Snow College students can now go from the classroom to the real world in less than one year. It is part of a state-wide training initiative to encourage more private-sector industry partnerships with college-level technical and trade programs.

Funded by a grant from Talent Ready Utah, the program combines academic training and employer onsite workbased learning with area industry to prepare students for high-paying careers, typically at little or no cost to the student. It also incentivizes industry employers to participate in this engaging initiative.

Starting with Great Lakes Cheese of Fillmore in spring 2022, the program has the potential to create a pipeline of qualified employees with students who are currently employed at Great Lakes Cheese and local high school students in Fillmore.

With unemployment rates at historic lows, the initial partnership allows Great Lakes Cheese, a food processing plant with 280 employees, to gain access to a trained and ready local workforce. Existing production employees can upskill into higher paying jobs that require mechanical expertise while the high school students can gain the same broad skill sets and explore high-paying manufacturing careers with regional employers. At full capacity, Great Lakes Cheese needs 350 employees.

Snow College President Stacee Yardley McIff, who at the time was serving as the Vice President for Technical Education and Workforce Engagement, stated: “It is our first time to design a certificate program in conjunction with a company that includes specific training geared to them and their industry. I appreciate that Great Lakes was willing to take a chance with us and become the first to partner with us.”

Plant Manager Jack Lee said that partnering with Snow College opened an avenue where additional skills can be

Current Great Lakes Cheese employees are eligible for skill training in industrial mechanics through a unique partnership with Snow College.

Work-based learning certificates offer students hands-on experience in the academic lab and on employer worksites.

provided for his employees and others. With the learning acquired from Snow, the dedicated participants can enhance their knowledge and skills. “Thank you, Snow College, for the partnership,” added Jack.

Great Lakes Cheese came up with the criteria, selected the employees they wanted to participate, and then answered the basic question, “What do your employees need to know so we can create the certificate for them?”

The first cohort of Great Lakes employees and Fillmore High School students recently finished courses last June. This trial effort will allow Snow College to replicate the experience with other industry partners. “Great Lakes Cheese gave us proof of concept. With minor adjustments as we go, we can duplicate this for other manufacturers in our area,” President McIff said.

To further test the need for the program, Snow College hosted 15 large regional manufacturing employers in May 2022 to gather information and listen to their labor market challenges. “We are focused on connecting with industry around our six-county region, and we’ve seen a great demand for employees in manufacturing,” said President McIff. “The emphasis on industrial mechanics meets many employer labor needs in the college’s service region as manufacturing and mining are among the largest employers,” she said.

Common local industrial mechanic careers include maintenance and repair of equipment used in food processing, mining, transportation, construction, agriculture, power plants, aviation, aerospace, manufacturing, and related industries. The Utah Department of Workforce Services projects a 13% growth in those careers in central Utah, and an annual median salary of $52,860.

As an added incentive to local students, these careers require a year or less of training and Snow College’s technical education programs are geared toward working adults looking to gain skills at their current place of employment, as well as to high school students and recent graduates who want college with a short, clear pathway to in-demand careers.

Snow College plans to host a new cohort of students this fall. President McIff and her team are working with several manufacturers in Juab, Sanpete, and Sevier counties to expand industrial mechanics and similar training for their current employees and high school students near their locations.

“The primary advantage to our high school age students is that they have a larger skill set and are ready to go into careers when compared to others without this formal training,” said Hailey Rippstein, Snow College Career Center’s work-based learning coordinator. As part of President McIff’s team, Hailey is reaching out to employers and school districts to promote and establish additional Snow College partnerships.

Six-county manufacturing, mining, and production employers may reach out to Snow College for more information about upskilling their current employees or hosting adult and high school apprentices and paid interns. Contact Hailey at hailey.rippstein@snow.edu or 435-8932268 for more information.

For student information, contact Snow College Richfield’s academic advising office at 435-893-2211.

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