To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, Apprenticeship Utah and the Department of Workforce Services hosted the first annual Apprenticeship Utah Summit on November 15, 2022 at the Weber State University Davis campus in Layton. More than 100 employers in 10 different industries gathered in-person to learn about the benefits of adding or expanding apprenticeships within  their organizations. An additional 27 people attended virtually. Attendees had the opportunity to network with other organizations to share what they've learned from implementing apprenticeships.

Industry partners  in construction, manufacturing, healthcare and IT/cybersecurity hosted breakout sessions to share best practices and benefits of apprenticeships in their businesses. Panelists included both company representatives as well as current or recently graduated apprentices.  View the breakout sessions here.

Joshua Johnson, director of Jobs for the Future's National Innovation Hub for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility in Registered Apprenticeship gave the keynote address and shared his personal story of how an apprenticeship changed the trajectory of his life. After serving 10 years in prison in Wisconsin, Johnson knew he needed a job and knew that he didn’t want to end up back in prison. He was hired by a Walsh Construction company for a large transportation project. After a two-week trial period he became a construction craft labor apprentice. He worked in construction for five years and then made a career change into civil service where he was an apprenticeship training representative and in 2019 became the director of Wisconsin Apprenticeship. Watch the awards and listen to his story here.

The Apprenticeship Utah Awards recognized individuals and companies for their outstanding efforts in moving apprenticeships forward in Utah.

Lifetime Achievement: Rich Thorn, Associated General Contractors

Registered Apprenticeship Champion: Peter Fuller, Workflow Academy (Not pictured)

Registered Apprenticeship Champion: Dery Guillen

Outstanding Registered Apprenticeship Employer: Hunt Electric

Outstanding Registered Apprenticeship Sponsor: Mountainland Technical College

Outstanding Registered Apprentice: Ty Stark

Following the summit, more than 30 employers set up booths for the apprenticeship job fair where job seekers and students came to talk about apprenticeship opportunities in construction, manufacturing, IT, healthcare, aerospace, automotive transportation and more.