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Utah pilot lets high-school students earn corrections certification through concurrent enrollment
Summary
Lawmakers, Weber State University and the Utah Department of Corrections described a pilot to let high-school students complete the academic portion of the Special Functions Officer certification via concurrent enrollment (about nine credits, roughly $45), creating a pipeline to hire 19-year-old correctional staff to address a staffing shortfall.
Representative Matthew Gwynn hosted Weber State University President Brad Mortensen and Utah Department of Corrections Director Jared Garcia on the House Rules podcast to describe a new workforce pathway that would let high-school students graduate with the academic coursework needed for Special Functions Officer (SFO) certification and become employable in corrections as young as 19.
The program packages three academic courses — a 9-credit sequence Mortensen said can be delivered through concurrent enrollment — so a student could complete the coursework in high school for minimal cost. "It's $5 a credit hour," Mortensen said, and Gwynn and Mortensen calculated the set at roughly $45 total for the nine credits. Gwynn said the goal is to "give them a living wage and benefits almost as soon as they walk off the stage with their diploma."
The effort is motivated by severe staffing shortages in Utah's corrections system. "We arrived at 400 vacancies over 400 vacancies," Garcia said, describing mandatory overtime and a stressed work environment before recent recruitment and pay changes. Garcia noted the department increased pay during recruitment efforts, saying, "we were paying, our correctional officers $31 an hour." He and Gwynn also referenced retention, with Gwynn saying retention for 19-year hires has been "well over 80%."
Mortensen said Weber State worked with the State Board of Education and school districts to develop the pathway under the broader "first credential" initiative, which encourages every high-school graduate to leave with a postsecondary credential. School districts responded positively once shown the pathway, Mortensen said.
Speakers stressed selection and training precautions rather than automatic placement. Gwynn raised concerns voiced in committee that 19-year-olds might lack life experience to work with incarcerated populations; Mortensen responded that education lets many students demonstrate competency or self-select out and compared the approach to nursing and paramedic programs where young people assume serious responsibilities.
Garcia described district pilots — including work with Jordan and Granite school districts — that pair internships and aptitude testing to screen candidates, and he thanked legislative and state partners for support. Gwynn noted the curriculum efforts have proceeded "without even writing a bill," saying the project moved forward through collaboration among Weber State, POST and the Department of Corrections.
The conversation framed the program as a low-cost, scalable way to address workforce needs while offering students an early career pathway. Participants encouraged other education and industry partners to propose similar credential pathways to meet local workforce needs. The discussion closed with speakers thanking partners and urging continued collaboration.
