Utah’s new AI education initiative, developed in collaboration with NVIDIA, is set up to promote the state’s commitment to workforce training and economic growth.
The public-private partnership aims to equip universities, community colleges and adult education programs across Utah with resources to develop generational AI skills.
“AI will continue to grow in importance that affects all sectors of Utah’s economy,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. “We need to prepare students and teachers for this revolution. Working with Nvidia is an ideal pathway that will help ensure that Utah is positioned for AI growth in the near future and long term.”
As part of a new initiative, Utah educators can obtain certification through the NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute University Ambassador program. The program offers access to high-quality education kits, extensive workshop content, and NVIDIA GPU-accelerated workstations in the cloud.
By supporting educators with the latest AI skills and technology, the initiative aims to increase the competitive advantage of Utah’s overall higher education system.
“We believe that AI education is more than a path to innovation. It is the foundation for solving some of the world’s most urgent challenges,” said Manish Parashar, director of the Institute of Science Computing and Imaging at the University of Utah. “Equip students and researchers with the tools to explore, understand and create with AI, allowing them to drive advances in medicine, engineering and more.”
The initiative begins with Utah’s Higher Education System (USHE) and several other universities in the state, including the University of Utah, Utah State University, Utah Valley University, Weber State University, Utah Institute of Technology, Southern Utah University, Snow College and Salt Lake Community College.
Set up students and professionals for success
The Utah AI Education Initiative benefits students entering the job market and working professionals by helping to expand their skill sets beyond community colleges and adult education courses.
The Utah agency is exploring ways in which internships and apprentice programs can provide students with hands-on experiences in AI skills and bridge the gaps between education and industry needs. The initiative is in line with Utah’s broader goal of fostering a tech-savvy workforce and positioning the nation as a leader in AI innovation and applications.
As AI continues to evolve and capture prevalence across the industry, Utah’s proactive approach with resources and training for educators and students will help prepare the workforce and become competitive for the future of technology.
