Technical Education vs. Career & Technical Education within the Utah System of Higher Education. Issue Brief

Overview & Synopsis

The Utah Legislature recently passed legislation, which merged the Utah System of Technical Colleges with what was the Utah System of Higher Education. The new Utah System of Higher Education includes eight technical colleges, two community colleges, four regional universities, and two research universities. These sixteen institutions are categorized into three defined institutional roles: technical colleges, degree-granting institutions, and degree-granting institutions with a technical college role. The institution's assigned role will determine the types of programs it will offer. By statute, there are three programing categories: (1) technical education; (2) Career and Technical Education (CTE); and (3) academic education. Academic education is a general category that comprises all programing offered by degree-granting institutions. It includes coursework that leads to certificates or degrees ranging from associate degrees to doctorates. The report begins by discussing the difference and purpose of CTE and technical education, as well as which institutions provide which program type.