New campus for Mountainland Technical College to open in Heber City

Photo: courtesy of MTech website

HEBER CITY, Utah — Anyone whose driven between Heber and Midway this year could not miss the expansive construction of the Mountainland Technical College, Utah’s largest and fastest growing technical college, which is opening its doors in Heber in August.

Born and raised in the Park City area, Kris Olsen is looking forward to what the nearby campus will have to offer. Olsen helps run the family-owned and operated Olsen Electric and couldn’t make the drive to Salt Lake City to get an official electrical apprenticeship after graduating from Park City High School.

“I’m excited to see more support for the trades,” Olsen told TownLift. “Having something closer to home, I feel, will only help motivate people to get into those jobs.”

The industry-driven school has a firm footprint in the community, with a partnership with Utah Valley University, which also has a campus in Heber and offers opportunities for college credits to students at the Park City High School.

Attending a trade school allows someone to significantly accelerate the process of obtaining a Journeyman license. Without school, it can take up to eight years to become a Journeyman and an additional four years to earn a Master’s license. “With schooling, that timeline can be reduced to about four years for a Journeyman, with two more years to become a Master,” Olsen said.

MTech Heber will offer courses in:

• electrical and plumbing apprenticeships
• medical, nursing, and dental assistants
• emergency medical and pharmacy technicians 
• culinary arts
• digital marketing and analytics
• automotive, deisel, and welding technology
• commercial drivers licenses
• cosmetology, master hair design, master barber, and nail technicians

Other campuses in the 35-year-old school system are located in Lehi, Orem, Payson, Provo, and Spanish Fork. They are one of Utah’s 16 Higher Education institutions, so students are officially part of Utah’s unique system of learning, collaboration, and resources.

The commercial and residential growth in Park City suggests that these trades will support employment opportunities for graduates.   

The school will provide classes to people starting their career, upgrading their skills, or looking to earn academic credit to transfer to an in-state university. 

Going to a trade school gives you the foundation and understanding of electricity, but even after achieving those licenses you never stop learning explains Olsen. “You should never assume that once you become a Master, you’re done learning. In this trade, you’re always learning something new.”

Registration opens in April. Perspective students can click here to apply.