Technically Speaking

Name change better identifies role at SLCC

Salt Lake Community College has had a few names since its inception in 1948: Salt Lake Area Vocational School, Salt Lake Trade Technical Institute and Utah Technical College at Salt Lake. As SLCC has grown and expanded into an institution that offers myriad transfer pathways to bachelor’s degree programs at four-year universities, it has not wavered in its dedication to educating and training people interested in the trades.

To better serve the community, starting in the summer of 2022 SLCC is changing the name of its School of Applied Technologies to Salt Lake Technical College. The Tech Ed program under the Technical College includes Automotive, Construction, Computer & Networking, Business Office, Diesel & Truck Driving, Electronics, Culinary Arts, Health Care, Manufacturing, English as a Second Language and Media & Web Design.

We were positioned to serve students far better than other institutions because they could start out in the technical programs and then transition to programs leading to degree completion,

Before the latest change, SLCC’s School of Applied Technology had a unique position straddling the two systems. “We were positioned to serve students far better than other institutions because they could start out in the technical programs and then transition to programs leading to degree completion,” explains Dr. Jennifer Saunders, dean of the School of Applied Technology and Technical Specialties. She sees the realignment as a great opportunity to better serve SLCC students through the removal of unnecessary duplication and by providing clearer pathways to rewarding careers.

Saunders adds that because SLCC is the only comprehensive community college in Utah, its role as a technical college is not always clearly understood. The name change, she says, will make a strong statement to those in Salt Lake County that Salt Lake Technical College is the place to go to earn a technical degree or workforce-related credential.

The attractive element of attending programs within the Technical College is that students can choose a path that leads toward an apprenticeship or associate’s degree, or they can select a track that leads to a certificate. Whatever the choice, students who attend SLCC's Salt Lake Technical College will be able to quickly and affordably train for high-demand jobs that offer competitive pay and room for growth.