Enrollment for the Ogden-Weber Technical College is on the rise, and has been since covid.
In last years annual report, the president of the Ogden Weber Technical College James R Taggert said “This has been a historic year for Ogden-Weber Technical College. We had 1,344 graduates complete high-demand programs, representing over $67 million dollars in return on investment through their starting wages. Ninety-nine percent of graduates found relevant employment. We served over 6,600 students, more than any year in our 53-year history. And we received legislative funding and generous donations for the first new building on campus in over a decade.” Taggert continues in an interview with the Standard Examiner a year later, “We’re serving now over 7,500 students. Five years ago, we were probably at 4,800 students.”
The new OTECH high school has played a big roll in the increased enrollment. In the state of Utah, high school students can attend a technical college tuition free. This is a game changer in making higher education more accessible to our state’s youth and preparing them to be career-ready. By learning high-demand skills at no cost, these students save time and money as they work towards their career goals.
After completing their OTECH program, many students jump right into high-wage, high-demand jobs that help fund future schooling, eliminating the stress of how to pay for a degree program and setting them up on a path towards financial security. The courses they complete at OTECH can even transfer to other institutions across the state, so they can quickly finish school and enter the workforce. Not only is the technical college a great way to gain hands on experience, the Ogden-Weber Technical College has low tuition cost and lots of scholarships. 100% students graduate debt free thanks to the $1,090,000 awarded to students in scholarship.
In the same interview with the Standard Examiner, James Taggert said that“Getting a technical certificate is the best way of getting a degree and having both a technical college certificate and a degree that actually gives you the very best earning power… The technical college certificate shows that you have the hands-on technical skills to be employed and, with our wonderful articulation partnerships with all of the universities in the state of Utah, it’s many times a faster way to complete a degree with our transfer agreements.”
Ogden-Weber Technical College have also created a program called Custom Fit to help businesses grow and adapt in constantly evolving industries. Each year the Utah State Legislature allocates Custom Fit funds to encourage companies to pursue training that will maintain and grow Utah’s businesses. Ogden-Weber Technical College’s Custom Fit Training program administers the those Custom Fit funds for Weber County. These funds may be used to help pay for training for your employees, and up to 40% training cost may be covered. If your company is for-profit, has W2/W4 employees, and is in Weber County, you qualify!
For over 50 years, OTECH has maintained their Mission: to build a prosperous community by creating a technically skilled workforce one student at a time. At Ogden-Weber Tech, experience is everything.
