Utah County recently convened its fourth annual Growth and Prosperity Summit — a robust community dialogue about how we leverage our collective strengths to invest in our future.
In many respects, Utah County is the envy of many other metro areas across the nation. We have a robust economy, unparalleled quality of life and amazing, talented people.
But if there is a lesson to be learned, it’s that we can’t take these favorable circumstances for granted. The rapid growth we are experiencing in Utah Valley is a two-edged sword. While it creates a dynamic cultural ecosystem and provides new and exciting opportunities, unmanaged it can create serious challenges.
I want to thank the many community members who came together this week to share ideas, discuss solutions and recommit to prioritizing the shared values that have come to define our community.
One conclusion I took away from the summit is the need for our state to continue investing in higher education. In Utah County, we are fortunate to have the state’s largest public university, Utah Valley University, as well as Brigham Young University, the Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine, Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions and Mountainland Technical College.
While there is a fair amount of national chatter about the value of a college education, our local business community is living proof that a strong higher education system is foundational to a strong economy. Our businesses and industries rely on a highly trained workforce to provide goods and services. That labor supply is readily available here in Utah County.
As we approach the annual legislative session, I urge our lawmakers to prioritize continued investment in higher education. Additionally, I call on those with economic means and philanthropic proclivity to be generous in supporting our colleges and universities. Increased collaboration between the business community and higher education institutions is crucial. By aligning curricula with industry needs and accelerating workforce readiness among students, we can ensure a pipeline of talent ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
And for current and future students, I would underscore that vast amounts of data show the transformational benefits of higher education. The economic lift from a college education is well documented, but lesser known are the other benefits that communities accrue from participation in higher education, including improved health status, greater civic engagement and volunteerism.
Hats off to our great institutions here in Utah County. Together, we can ensure that growth remains a source of strength, not strain, and that prosperity continues to define our shared story.