As the school year began, most Bruins were preparing to start a new semester of classes across SLCC's eight campuses. On a different type of campus, one built for advanced manufacturing, the 12 students in the inaugural cohort of the Talent Ready Apprenticeship Connection (TRAC) program were preparing to start careers.
The students are the first to graduate from a new program that connects private employers with public education, creating a clear pathway from high school, through higher ed, and directly into a profession. But it's not just a school-to-work pipeline. It's also a proving ground for young adults building their own futures.
"This apprenticeship has given me a lot more than just a job and a degree," said Gabe Skeen, one of the graduates, during remarks to the group of family, supporters, and industry reps who had gathered at the new Doppelmayr USA HQ facility on Salt Lake's industrial westside.
"It gave me an opportunity to grow," Skeen continued, "to challenge myself, and to discover a new version of myself that's continuing to grow." Balancing the multi-faceted program, which combines advanced manufacturing and applied science coursework with paid internships for on-the-job training with industry partners, was real work that required real discipline, he said. It was a struggle, but it was also invaluable experience in building a professional life beyond the classroom.
According to Beau Smith, the TRAC Apprenticeship Program coordinator, that's by design.
"Students are not only learning advanced manufacturing concepts in the classroom — they are gaining real-world experience," Smith said. They're not just students; they're actually in the field, doing the work, while completing the higher-ed credentials that will help them launch a career.
TRAC is a Swiss-inspired apprenticeship program that connects state-owned public and higher education institutions with industry and businesses. The three-year program begins when students are still in high school, and they continue their education with SLCC to combine classroom learning with workplace apprenticeships.
The program's first private collaborators are two companies with big Utah footprints whose products move people by cable and rail. Stadler US, a rail company, co-launched the program, and Doppelmayr USA, which manufactures aerial lifts and ropeways, joined to help support the first cohort.
From light rail and commuter trains to ski lifts and trams, Stadler and Doppelmayr both serve critical infrastructure needs. They've also both recently expanded their Salt Lake facilities, adding several acres of manufacturing area and hundreds of opportunities in technical trades. Now, they need technicians with the specialized skillset to fill that space. TRAC is an opportunity to invest in that workforce, supporting the companies' futures and the futures of SLCC students.
Stadler US's head of production, Steve Martin, said the program was initially an experiment, but is now clearly an asset. "The TRAC model gives these students room to grow, fail, and learn" in the safe environment of an apprenticeship, he said, building skills, confidence, and a scope of experience beyond entry-level.
"If anything," Martin continued, "what starts as ‘too much, too fast, too loud, all at once' becomes ‘I got this. What's next?'" And it's not just the students who are learning.
"Your success taught Stadler how to teach the next generation," he told the graduates. "You formed us as much as we formed you."
SLCC has also learned from the collaboration, and President Greg Peterson explained that the college is ready to put those learnings to use. SLCC has already created a TRAC program to connect with school districts and produce the next generation of Utah's teachers, and the college is preparing to expand into hospitality and hotel management in preparation for the 2034 Olympics. Other Utah institutions of tech and higher education are also now joining the push, spreading the impact of TRAC across the state.
The Stadler and Doppelmayr joint cohort proved the program's merit and authorized those expansions, and Peterson credits the 12 graduates for establishing the path forward.
"We're building apprenticeship opportunities across Utah," Peterson told the group, "and you're the model. It's a big deal, what you've done."
In his own remarks at the event, Doppelmayr USA CEO Keith Johns was similarly impressed by the program's first cohort, stressing the group's demonstrated capacity for teamwork, continuous learning, and dedication to pursuing a long-term goal.
"Succes is often determined less by where you start, and more by your attitude, work ethic, and willingness to learn," Johns told the group.
In his own remarks, graduate Hudson Behrens was bullish about the scope of success available to him and his fellow grads, noting that Stadler US's CEO also started as an apprentice.
"Today, we're earning our associate's degrees," Behrens said with a wry smile. "Who knows? Maybe someday one of us will be running this place."