Utah has received more top 10 economic rankings than any other state in the country. That’s according to the Enterprising States 2014 report released Wednesday at the US Chamber of Commerce Small Business Summit in Washington. Governor Gary Herbert was part of a panel discussion at the summit on closing the skills gap. He cited Utah’s diverse workforce as a primary reason for the state’s competitive advantage both nationally and globally.
“We are the most bi-lingual population is America. We educate more people in Mandarin Chinese in Utah than any other state in America. We have immersion programs for French, for Spanish, for German, for Chinese; we speak 130 languages in Utah. “
Herbert also pointed to the state’s 2020 Initiative to have 66 percent of its residents gain some form of higher education. He said that brought together an educated and trained workforce.
“And I’m a firm believer that if you get the economy right, everything else falls into place.”
Herbert said the focus on science, technology, engineering and math – or - STEM Education is better aligning the skills of Utahns with the growing needs of the job market.
