Career and Technical Education Impact Report 2022 | Utah State University

Career and Technical Education Impact Report 2022

Career and technical education programs have seen a resurgence thanks to increased demand for skilled workers in a variety of technical trades and professions. Recent trends and world events have highlighted the need for many trade jobs that had not received wide public recognition for the past several decades.

Utah State University’s Department of Technology, Design, and Technical Education’s goal is to provide learning opportunities that prepare students to meet steadily growing workforce demands and to make education and training possible in locations throughout the state. Facilities and relevant equipment tend to be the limiting factors in expanding existing opportunities and developing new programs in response to community and student needs.

Career and technical education programs typically involve specialized equipment as industry needs and standards can rapidly change. Ample space for training may also need to change within an industry, and require relatively large, dedicated spaces). In maintaining our programs, we must also take into account that workforce needs are ever changing and developing instructional programs founded on the need of the communities we serve is of paramount importance.

Sincerely,

Brian Warnick, Department Head, Technology, Design, and Technical Education

Enrollment by Degree Program in 2021-22

General Technology, Associate of Applied Science (AAS)

Technology Systems, Bachelor of Science (BS)

USU Honored by Davis Tech

Utah State University is proud to have been honored as the Davis Technical College’s 2022 Educational Partner of the Year. The primary reason for the honor is the university’s CTE Teaching Academy that provides professional development courses for career and technical education teachers, helping them advance their careers and better serve their students. Read more about the academy and award at: tinyurl.com/USU-DavisTech.

1,200 Completed Industry Certifications

Total number of certificate programs offered in 2021-22

32

Top 5 Certificates

Completion (Ranked by Enrollment in 2021-22)

of

Number of Graduates by Ethnicity

Certificates of Completion (CC) Certificates of Proficiency (CP)

Student Testmonials

Jim Lentini - Chromalox Quality Engineer

My name is Jim Lentini, and I enrolled in the technology systems: quality and reliability degree at the beginning of 2021. This is one of the best degree programs I have encountered. What I believe sets it apart is that each instructor I had was not only teaching on behalf of Utah State University, but they were current working professionals in the subject they were teaching. Not only was I learning new subject matter, but it was as if I was getting on-the-job training that was applicable to my future career. I was able to meet many people associated with quality engineering in Utah and built a fantastic network as a result. The instructors were also invested in my working career, and they continue to be important contacts and mentors for me. I graduated in December 2021 and accepted a position as a quality engineer with Chromalox in Utah. This program was refreshing and unique, and I would not hesitate to refer someone to this degree program!

Ashton Duke – Current Technology Systems Student

I chose the technology systems product development emphasis because I liked the classes that were required. I felt like this major gave me more valuable knowledge than other majors so I could diversify myself in the job field. My dream career would be to create a cool recreational product and make it into a business. I love the idea of being my own boss and also the accomplishment I imagine myself feeling once I get there. The program can give you some of the most diverse knowledge on campus if you take it seriously. I get to interact with students from other majors while improving my manufacturing, design programs, business, and leadership and communication skills. You get all the things that employers want when you get into the field.

Student Testmonials

Quinn Monsen – Technology Systems Product Development Graduate

My educational journey began at Utah State University with Child Psychology back in 2002. I later decided to pursue an automotive career at Wyotech in Laramie, WY. After working in the automotive industry for nine years, I felt that it was time for a change. I discovered the Outdoor Product Design and Development major offered at USU. The most thrilling aspect of the program was that I could imagine with my mind and still work with my hands! The major was great, and I learned a lot from it. At heart, I have that tremor of an urge to rapidly disassemble something and put it back together. This natural urge led me to technology systems, which opened the door to my career path in manufacturing and product development. Through the program, I learned about manufacturing with injection molding and 3D prototyping as well as establishing supply chains for new and mature businesses. By building prototypes myself, I learned the hardships of product development through trial and error. The entire program was a fantastic springboard to a foundational understanding of the prototype process.

Jessica Gordon – Current Technology Systems Cybersecurity Student

Growing up I always knew that I wanted to have a career in STEM, especially because of the under-represented demographic of women in the industry. In high school, I took an intro to computer science class and really enjoyed programming, and I figured that would be a good place to start. As I took more computer science classes at Utah State, I began to further my love of technology and learn more about the technological revolution we live in today. I ended up switching my major to relate more to cyber security in my junior year here at USU because I wanted to do something more hands-on, and I have loved it ever since. Being a student at Utah State has also helped me get my job at the Space Dynamics Laboratory here in North Logan as an information system security officer, and the combination of my schooling and experience I am gaining at SDL has helped me progress so much. I am very fortunate to have both opportunities and I am excited to see where this takes me in my career.

I chose the technology systems cybersecurity emphasis major because of my love for the technology industry, and the opportunity to constantly be learning throughout my career. I also liked the fact that I would be getting a general technological overview with a cybersecurity perspective in mind. As the world of cybersecurity is vast and the specialties are endless, I figured this would give me a good opportunity to get a general overview of the industry, and then focus on something specific that I really enjoy.

In the future, I would like to pursue a master’s degree in Cybersecurity or something similar (cryptography, networking, etc.) as I continue my career and find a specialty I really enjoy. Long term, I would love to work for the CIA or FBI as a cybersecurity analyst. I also really love the legal aspect of things, and I am looking into law school and the possibility of becoming a tech and cyber attorney. As long as I have a career in technology where I am constantly learning, I’ll be happy.

Something that I have really loved about this program is the accessibility of the professors and their willingness to help other students learn as much as they can. I can tell that each professor has a passion for what they do and for the topics they teach, and I believe that’s why I have loved learning all the topics thus far.