Mountainland Technical College, or MTECH, is one of eight technical colleges in Utah. It serves Wasatch, Summit and Utah counties.
Vice President Joseph Demma said the college previously provided services to the Wasatch Back on a limited scale. But with a new campus in Heber City opening August 28, that’s about to change.
“Having the campus in Wasatch County means that we're bringing Utah's number one best technical college into your backyard, and so no longer would you have to commute,” Demma said.
MTECH has five other campuses in Lehi, Provo, Payson, Orem and Spanish Fork.
Demma said the Heber campus wouldn’t have been possible without Wasatch County School District.
Former Superintendent Paul Sweat wanted to partner with MTECH to provide local students with more technical opportunities. So the district offered to donate $1 million of land if the college would build next to Deer Creek High School, which opened July 29.
Demma said the proximity gives high school students the flexibility to enroll in MTECH programs.
After sharing economic data with lawmakers, Demma said the state funded the rest of the $65 million building.
“It showed not just that there was economic development growth trends in Wasatch County that could sustain and support a technical college, but there was in fact, in the moment, open jobs needing to be filled in program areas that we run,” Demma said.
Demma said economic projections showed the technology and coding industry will grow in Wasatch County by 39% in the next ten years. Manufacturing job opportunities are expected to increase by almost 35%, transportation-related jobs nearly 46% and culinary jobs by over 54%.
Starting this fall, students at MTECH’s Heber campus can get certifications in plumbing, nursing, culinary arts, automotive technology and more. Registration is open.
“These are not going to be programs that we're looking to ship folks off to different counties, or it's going to be training that's predicated on the needs of Salt Lake or Utah County,” Demma said. “These are all programs built with Heber Valley in mind.”
MTECH will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening for the Heber campus on August 28 at 10 a.m.
