Long-Term Employment Projections

The long-term employment projections have been updated for the time period of 2012 to 2022. Projections are produced for the state of Utah as well as for eight sub-state areas. The areas are determined by population and job density and are not created equal. But rather, types of jobs are determined by the nature of the local area’s economy. Short-term projections for 2012 to 2014 are also provided for statewide.

The value in providing these projections is to help identify which types of jobs are most likely to be in high demand in the future. Ultimately, the long-term employment projections act as a forecasting measure by which individuals as well as organizations and agencies can plan ahead.

See the latest long-term projections produced by DWS for the Eastern Utah area.

A Story of Wage Data

The Wages and Income page has a new look to the wage data that is gathered by the Workforce Research and Analysis division. Along with visualization of the data, you can now read story points at the top of each graph, to help understand what the data is showing you along with highlighting its insights. Just click along the story points at the top of the visualization to follow the story of wages.

Growth in the Basin

As the growth of Duchesne County is studied by various groups including the energy industry and the Utah Department of Transportation, they all look to the Duchesne County School District for looking into the crystal ball of population change.

In recent announcements from the school district looking ahead to the coming years, the population growth may be staggering. A recent Census Bureau study placed Uintah County and Duchesne County as the first and fourth fastest growing counties in the state of Utah. Uintah Basin Standard

Program aims to erase gap in early education

Kevin and Kristen Remington knew that they wanted a top preschool education before their children began public school. But with limited preschool options in the Uintah Basin, they, like many parents in rural Utah, found their choices were limited.

That is until Kristen Remington discovered an at-home early childhood education program called Upstart. Now, three children later, the Remingtons say the Upstart program was crucial to their children’s current academic success.

The good news, they said, is that the program is free and available to Uintah Basin parents. That can be a tremendous benefit to parents in Utah, where a Pre-K education isn’t mandated.

Traditionally, students in rural areas have entered public school significantly behind students in more highly-populated areas.

The rural nature of Utah, where schools are literally few and far between, when compounded with the poverty prevalent in many areas of the Basin, means that rural children often start public school at a significant disadvantage.

That’s why Utah is taking steps to encourage in-home preschool education, especially for rural areas like in Duchesne or Uintah Counties, said Claudia Miner, program director for Upstart, a free at-home preschool education curriculum.

Children who are behind during the first years of school often tend to learn slower than students who begin ahead, according to research by economist James Heckman.

Heckman notes that the phenomenon creates a “Matthew effect” for reading skills, in which the academically rich become richer, and the academically poor become poorer.

Upstart is aimed at erasing that deficit by putting those pre-K opportunities into the home.

Kristen Remington said the program is free to parents because it is funded by a federal grant, can grow more as more people sign up. Uintah Basin Standard

Roosevelt School board forecasts overcrowding

Students in portable classrooms are coming soon to Roosevelt area schools according to projected enrollment figures generated by the Duchesne County School District.

To meet some of those growth predictions, the school board voted in their last meeting to move forward a proposed bond election to build an expansion elementary school in Roosevelt and a replacement elementary for Duchesne Elementary School, which has outlived its useful life according to independent engineering evaluations.

Director of Student Services Bruce Guymon, updated the Roosevelt City Council regarding the bond election and the growth projections during a school board visit to the Roosevelt City Council on Tuesday Jan. 15, in the Roosevelt City Council chambers.

Between the 2010/11 and 2015/16 school years, elementary enrollment in the Roosevelt schools will experience a 44 percent growth, according to Guymon.

District Superintendent David Brotherson said that of the 110 new students at the junior high school this year, 40 were anticipated and 70 were not.

The predictions for growth at Union High School were no less concerning.

The center section of Union High has reached the end of its useful life according to engineering evaluations. However the north end of the building and the separate math building may have 15 to 20 years of life remaining according to the engineering studies.

Economic growth within the county continues to raise the bonding level for the district.

Estimates for the new UHS campus are presently set at about $50 million with a possibility of being as high as $60 million. Uintah Basin Standard

Design work to begin on high school expansion

Uintah High School could be getting something of a facelift in the next year.

In a memo to Uintah School District board members, Randall Upton, business administrator for the district said to refine costs and determine exactly how the facility will look; the district needs to begin to move to the design phase. The broad plan calls for a 16-room addition to the high school to be in place by the start of the 2013 school year.

The district voted to allow the administration and MHTN, a Salt Lake City architecture firm, begin the design phase of the project. Upton noted that the beginning of the design phase does not commit the board to building the project – such approvals would come at a later date, he said.

MHTN architects would be working on a tight time frame. The district hopes to have the new wing at the high school ready for occupancy by August 2013. That would mean construction would need to start sometime in February, Upton said. Drawings need to be done by then to begin work.

Board members and students questioned the impact to students at the school while construction is ongoing. Upton said the project could be worked around to minimize impact to students.

Upton said the anticipated cost would be around $25 to $26 million. The numbers would be refined further as design work progresses.

The high school is the next targeted for expansion or renovation as the Uintah School District tries to keep pace with growing enrollment numbers. For 2011, Uintah School District was the fastest-growing district in the state, up 4.6 percent.

The school district is near completion of its 10-year project to remodel and expand all area elementary schools, Vernal Middle School and Uintah High School. Vernal Junior High School was remodeled before the 10-year plan was outlined seven years ago.

The addition of the wing at the high school is meant to accommodate a reconfiguration of the district, to try and ease crowding at the middle, junior and high schools. Elementary schools should be kept for kindergarten-through-fifth graders, while sixth, seventh and eighth grades would be split between the middle and junior high school. Ninth graders would go to the high school.

The option was seen as more immediate and cost-effective than the construction of another high school, which would require a bond election. The cost would be estimated at $50 to $60 million for construction, not counting the ongoing operation costs, Superintendent Mark Dockins told district members in March. Vernal Express

Business degrees a possibility close to home

Those coming to hear about the opportunities available at the University of Utah Uintah Basin campus ranged from a high school senior with a desire to start a business to an oil field worker who wants to finish his education to pursue a different path.

The evening was an attempt to recruit business students, said Bob Peterson, director of student services for the university. He explained students can attend locally to pursue one of four business degrees offered in the Basin: accounting, economics, management information systems and business administration. Also offered is a master's degree in human resources management, and several minors, including hospitality and tourism.

The Jon M. Huntsman School of Business was established at Utah State University after a $25 million grant to the school in 2007 from Huntsman, a respected Utah business leader and philanthropist. While part of that grant includes a new building for business education at the university's man campus, students can receive the same degree they would get in Logan, explained Dr. David Woolstenhulme of USU. “It's an awesome opportunity,” he said.

Those in attendance had an opportunity to hear about the offerings from the school as well as learn about scholarship possibilities. Break-out sessions where held for several of the offerings, including accounting, economics and business administration. Aggie ice cream sweetened the deal for event participants. Vernal Express

USU-Uintah Basin school of business hosting meeting

Advisers from the Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University will be on hand to meet with anybody in the Basin interested in pursuing a business degree at the USU-Uintah Basin.

The business information meeting is set for 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, in room 101 of the Bingham Research Center, 320 N. Aggie Boulevard in Vernal.

Bob Peterson, director of student services for the college, said the meeting is part of the university’s “Grow Your Own” philosophy. While looking for future leaders in the field of health, education and now business, the school is actively seeking out current Uintah Basin residents. Vernal Express

New Uintah County Library Building Opens

The new Uintah County Community Library and Resource Center held their Grand Opening on Monday, Aug. 6.

“This new facility will be a cultural, social, intellectual gathering center,” said Darlene Burns, Uintah County commissioner. “A place for generations to come.”

Speaking before a crowd of 200-plus people Burns comments were underscored by the gathering of young and old library patrons anxiously awaiting the grand opening. The library promises to be a vibrant bustling center of technology. Vernal Express

Science learning explodes at USU-Uintah Basin day camp

Stuff exploding always makes learning more enjoyable.

Not that the middle school students at Utah State University – Uintah Basin’s summer science camp needed any extra motivation. They all came to the program to spend a few days learning about science.

But they still got to see stuff blow up.

Utah State University Professor of Chemistry Michael Christiansen hosted a workshop on chemistry, helping students use electricity to separate water into its two components – hydrogen and oxygen gases. A flick of a match showed the students just how flammable hydrogen is. But it wasn’t just about the flash. It was also about helping the students learn the joy of finding things out on their own.

Christiansen spoke with the students about the importance of discovery and experimentation, and encouraged them to continue learning throughout their life. Vernal Express

Donation aims to fund education goals for generations to come

A large donation means that generations of Duchesne County residents have the ability to pursue their higher-education dreams, Utah State University – Uintah Basin officials said. 

The Huish Family Foundation recently gave $150,000 for the Robert D. and Areva L. Huish Scholarship. The foundation also donated proceeds from stock dividends into the scholarship account. 

What that means is a perpetual fund will provide scholarship help for generations of students to come who are pursuing an education or nursing degree. 

The scholarship is for students attending USU-Uintah Basin who are Duchesne County residents. Preference is given females and Ute Tribe members who are in need of financial assistance. 

“We can't say enough about how much that benefits our students,” said Bob Peterson, director of student services for USU-Uintah Basin. “The Huishes are one great example of local donations helping local students stay here in the Basin.” Uintah Basin Standard

UBATC students mark accomplishments at graduation

For Chelsey O’Driscoll, it was the best decision she ever made. 

Going to welding courses at the Uintah Basin Applied Technology College taught her an important and in-demand vocational skill, but also forged a bond with her fellow classmates, O’Driscoll said in remarks to the 2012 UBATC graduating class. UBATC students marked the completion of their studies at Thursday night graduation ceremonies held in Roosevelt’s Junior High School auditorium.

“It’s like a family,” she said of her fellow welding classmates. “We have each other’s backs.”

The UBATC offers vocational, medical and other skills training for Uintah Basin residents. The training offered by UBATC can be valuable in helping Basin residents get ahead in life, said William Ryan, keynote speaker for the night.

Ryan, a UBATC Board of Directors Member, businessman, and Navy veteran, reminded the graduates of the importance of their accomplishments.

“Approximately 30 percent of graduates in the Uintah Basin take on secondary education,” he said. “The fact you’re here separates you from your fellow graduates. You stand out.”

Ryan noted that the largest part of the Uintah Basin’s economy revolves around energy production. 

But, “for every job we have in the oilfield, there are six support jobs created from that job,” he said. Job creation from the oilfield spills over into areas like accounting, transportation, welding and medical fields, he said.

“There is not a program at UBATC that does not support the oilfields,” Ryan said.

Considering how much the energy industry impacts the Uintah Basin, the UBATC can impact individual students, Walker said.

Out of 6,700 students, 64 percent completed their programs, he said, according to latest figure. Of those, 92 percent were placed with related jobs. Students who completed their programs passed their licensing requirements at a rate of 99 percent, Walker said.  The Vernal Express

Newfield makes donation to UBATC

Growing up on the Uintah-Ouray reservation, Lelylah Longhair vowed to make a good life for herself. Energy-related courses offered at the Uintah Basin Applied Technology College have helped the Ute Tribal member do just that.

Now, thanks to a $250,000 donation from Newfield Exploration Company, many more Uintah Basin residents will get that same opportunity.

Daryll Howard, vice president of Newfield's Rocky Mountain division, and Reed Durfey, district manager for the company's Uintah Basin operations, were on hand to present the check to UBATC's President Mark Walker at a Thursday ceremony.

For Newfield, the donation was not just pure philanthropy. They get something out of it as well, said Howard: A well-trained workforce ready to get to work in the Basin. “We see tremendous growth potential in the Uintah Basin,” Howard said. “We need a trained, educated workforce to participate in it with us.”

Durfey said the impact on the area's economy, and need for skilled workers, is obvious. Newfield currently has 460 employees working out of its Myton office. Utah's position as one of the leading energy producers is only going to expand, Howard said. Production has risen steadily since 2004, when Newfield began operations in the Basin. In 2011, production grew by 6.5 percent, he said. That's going to lead to a need for more trained workers, he said.

Walker said the donation would help the UBATC serve its students. “If it weren't for people like Newfield, we wouldn't be where we are today,” Walker said. “This is huge.” Walker said the UBATC can help educate area students to better themselves and their families' situation.
That rang true for Longhair. “UBATC has supplemented my knowledge of the oil and gas fields,” she said. “Living in the Basin, you only see bits and pieces. This program allowed me to see how complex it is. It educated me in a way I didn't think was possible.”

Longhair hopes to use her education to be an entrepreneur or executive in an oil and gas-related field, she said. For Walker, that's what the UBATC programs are all about. “So much of the Basin's employment is around oil and gas,” he said. “We want to train our own people to do these jobs.” Uintah Basin Standard

Seekers from around Utah attend job fair at UBATC

A job fair Thursday for those seeking jobs in the energy and transportation industries was well attended by many from across Utah. “Right now there’s quite a few truck driving jobs,” said Marilyn Wallis, a specialist with state Department of Workforce Services in Vernal. A similar job fair held recently in Roosevelt featured four employers and drew about 40 job seekers. The event was such a success that it led to Thursday’s job fair at Uintah Basin Applied Technology College, Wallis said.

Within 15 minutes of the two-hour job fair opening last week, an estimated 300 people had showed up to talk with the 19 employers on hand. DWS staffers were also at last week’s job fair to inform attendees of programs offered by the agency, which include resume and interviewing training courses twice at monthly at the local offices. Those interested need to register online at jobs.utah.gov or contact the Vernal Employment Center at 435-781-4100. http://www.vernal.com/detail.html?sub_id=1213839

Native American job training gets $524,000

The U.S. Labor Department awarded on Tuesday more than a half-million dollars in grants for job training and placement programs for Native Americans in Utah.

That included $174,558 to the Ute Tribe, and $349,375 to the Indian Training & Education Center in West Valley City.

Most of the money is to provide employment and training services for Native Americans ages 14 and up who are unemployed, underemployed or are low-income individuals. Some money also is set aside specifically to help young people ages 14 to 21 find summer or permanent work. The Deseret News