Talent Ready Utah, an initiative managed by the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (Go Utah), in partnership with MarketStar, Davis Technical College, Ogden-Weber Technical College and Weber State University, has launched the Tech Sales Pathways program in the Davis, Ogden and Weber school districts. MarketStar will lead the efforts to offer this newly developed work-based learning program providing students a career path to sales in social media, software as a service, digital ads, information technology and cloud services.
“There’s a growing need for talent in sales as businesses across industries adopt new technology. Through work-based learning programs, we can better prepare the younger generation for future careers,” said Dan Hemmert, executive director of Go Utah. “The development of work-based learning programs addresses the talent needs of businesses while strengthening Utah’s educational programs and growing Utah’s labor force.”
Under the program, high school students can enroll in courses as early as their sophomore year to prepare for MarketStar’s internship program. MarketStar internships have been designed to complement classroom learning, optimizing the student learning experience through interactions with employers to develop skills in business-to-business sales. Upon completing the Tech Sales Pathways program, students earn an industry-recognized certificate guaranteeing a job interview with MarketStar, increasing access to high-demand careers with name-brand companies.
“We’re proud to support the Tech Sales Pathways program and provide students the opportunity to apply the skills they learn in the classroom in a business environment at MarketStar,” said Keith Titus, MarketStar president and CEO. “As a leader in the sales industry, we look forward to helping students explore and grow careers in sales by leveraging the skills and expertise of our exceptional people and access to world-class brands.”
Students in Northern Utah will have access to concurrent enrollment courses offered through Davis and Ogden-Weber technical colleges and Weber State University, leading to credential and degree programs in business and sales. The alignment among Utah’s educational programs provides students multiple entry and exit points to valuable work experience and continued education opportunities, preparing individuals with the technical and professional skills needed to succeed in their career path while meeting industry’s talent needs.
“There are many advantages to pairing a student’s education with real-world experience as they advance in their educational learning and career and the Tech Sales Pathways program provides students a path to take their first steps towards careers in sales,” said Brock Adams, director of the Alan E. Hall Sales Center at Weber State University. “MarketStar has been a long-standing community partner, and we welcome their continued involvement and partnership with our educational programs to connect students with careers that await them along their educational pathway.”