Career and Technical Education (CTE) Specialists and Work-Based Learning (WBL) Coordinators from across the Mountainland Region recently gathered at Utah Valley University’s new Lehi campus for their quarterly regional collaboration meeting. The visit focused on exploring Utah’s growing high-wage, high-skill, and high-demand health career pathways, including respiratory therapy, occupational therapy, and paramedics—fields that continue to offer strong opportunities for students across the region.
During the visit, attendees toured UVU’s state-of-the-art health sciences facilities, gaining insight into hands-on learning spaces that prepare students for direct entry into healthcare professions or seamless transition into advanced postsecondary study. UVU faculty shared program updates and workforce trends, emphasizing the region’s need for qualified professionals in patient care, rehabilitation, and emergency response.
These quarterly meetings are designed to strengthen collaboration between
secondary and postsecondary partners while advancing shared goals in student success. CTE Specialists and WBL Coordinators play a vital role in: supporting pathway awareness and academic integration; facilitating workplace internships and apprenticeships; identifying CTE concentrators for WBL opportunities; meeting with business and industry leaders to assess training needs; and expanding student access to high-demand careers.
The group also works to involve nontraditional students in CTE, promote concurrent enrollment and articulation opportunities, and distribute information about Utah’s high-skill, high-wage occupations. Through ongoing collaboration, data analysis, and regional planning, Mountainland Region educators continue to build strong connections between education, industry, and community to prepare students for meaningful, future-ready careers.