Southwest Tech details training hub, reports high retention and completion rates

Southwest Tech staff presented data and a multi‑year plan to expand workforce training and first‑responder instruction in southern Utah.

The presenter (Southwest Tech representative) told commissioners the school's full‑time fall‑to‑fall retention rate is 93 percent and that last year the college recorded around 580 total certificates awarded. The presenter said most programs exceed a 70 percent placement benchmark required by their accreditor. "Every one of our programs is above that threshold," the presenter said, noting placement in Utah and nationally.

The presentation highlighted the Southwest Tech Training Advancement Center (STAC), a new training hub that includes mass‑casualty and crash‑rescue props, a rubble pile, a trench trainer, a fire trainer, and a high‑angle prop. The presenter said the high‑angle prop will be locally fabricated for about $120,000 after soliciting bids; by contrast, national vendors quoted between $200,000 and $400,000. The presenter also described donated planning and construction work from local firms and an MOU with the Utah National Guard for recurring training events.

Southwest Tech officials said roughly 40 percent of current headcount are high‑school students enrolled through dual‑enrollment and noted institutional aid—partly funded by the county—helped 132 students receive more than $200,000 in scholarships and direct assistance last year. The presenter described a student navigation center (NAV) and a new life‑skills program, Empower U, that offers partial or full scholarships to students who complete the curriculum.

Ending: Commissioners praised the college's outcomes and community partnerships and acknowledged capacity constraints at the existing campus; the presentation ended with a request to continue county support for students' fees and institutional aid so participation and placement gains can be sustained.