New education program will assist Utah workers displaced by virus

To provide education to employees displaced by COVID-19, the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) and its Talent Ready Utah team, in partnership with the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE), have launched the “Learn & Work in Utah” outreach and education initiative.

The program is in response to the Utah Legislature’s fifth 2020 special session and HB5010. The Legislature requested a program to encourage career development and workforce engagement for citizens recently displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic. CARES Act funds to support additional and new short-term training programs will be available at higher education institutions across Utah.

“Many Utahn’s are fortunate enough to still be working. However, many are not working because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Val Hale, GOED’s executive director. “This program can give those who have been displaced from work — the unemployed, underemployed and vulnerable workers — an opportunity to learn new skills and get back on their feet to help them be successful and find work to meet the skills they have learned. We are fortunate that the federal CARES Act funds and the Legislature are allowing us to use the money for this program.”

The Legislature allocated $4,500,000 each to GOED and the Utah System of Higher Education to create in-demand, short-term educational programs that will be promoted to furloughed, laid-off or dislocated workers as well as underserved or other populations affected by COVID-19. GOED will oversee the public information campaign through the Utah Works program within its Talent Ready Utah center.