Every year, Utah gains accolades such as ranking as one of the top 3 states for businesses in the United States as awarded by CNBC in 2021 and bestowed the same title by Forbes for a consistent decade. Companies are paying attention when they learn that the U.S. News and World Report has awarded the state as the winner for “Best Economy” and as “America’s Economic Star, ” by The Wall Street Journal. The awards don’t surprise the state government, though, which has worked hard for decades to create a healthy partnership between businesses, education, and communities. Utah’s efforts are a major part of what created the uber strong foundation for Silicon Slopes.
Utah’s tech industry has a rich history that dates back to the 1970s with the rise of tech giants such as Novell and WordPerfect. Other examples of early SLC legends include Evans & Sutherland, founded in the city in 1968 as the world’s first computer graphics company. Proof of its continuing worth as one of the greatest tech hubs in America hit a high note in 1990 when Governor Leavitt made regular trips to Silicon Valley to entice tech companies to bring their offices to Salt Lake City. As a direct result, eBay opened its main customer service center, soon joined by Intel’s research operations. The efforts continued with Utah’s government promoting Salt Lake City with a $150 million tax incentive for Facebook to start its data center in the region. Thanks to the continued who's who list, including Vivint, Ancestry.com, and Omniture, Adobe acquired Omniture, which paved the way for Adobe to establish its permanent base in Utah. With government and tech powerhouses leading the way, it’s easy to understand why savvy tech professionals and corporations flock to Salt Lake, as well as startups that want the strongest boot they’ll find in the nation.
The moniker, Silicon Slopes, was the name of the non-profit organization founded by Domo’s top executives in 2008. The goal of the group is to focus on providing any help it can to raise the area’s growing tech system in a number of ways. The Silicon Slopes community is home to more than 6,000 of the most innovative startups and tech companies, many of which are valued at well over a billion dollars. Silicon Slopes keeps its focus on emphasizing that the core principle of all efforts should not only revolutionize the tech world but also give back to the community as a whole. A primary tenet is a belief that providing equal opportunities for companies of all sizes and every level of tech professional with diverse backgrounds will make an impact and result in the success of even the highest ambitions. Fortune 1,000 companies that shine in Salt Lake City include Overstock.com, PROG Holdings, SkyWest, Zions Bank Corp., and Nu Skin Enterprises. The one issue all companies currently are dealing with is a shortage of skilled tech talent. A prime example is Amazon’s efforts to hire over 1,400 employees in Salt Lake City in its logistics and fulfillment center, offering sign-on bonuses of $1,000.
Salt Lake City isn’t just for established businesses. In fact, it is recognized as a capital for startups and entrepreneurs, named “The Number one State For Entrepreneurs, ” by Forbes. Sites such as Built in Salt Lake City, which is a center point for supporting budding concepts, and the Silicon Slopes official webpage provide a wealth of connections, suggestions, and opportunities for ideas of all shapes and sizes. As the voice, hub, and heart of Utah’s startup tech community, Silicon Slopes empowers the community to learn, connect, and serve in an inclusive environment that allows for all entrepreneurs to share their ideas in a supportive, small ecosystem. With so many investors and ideas sprouting faster by the day, many corporate futurists predict that the tech world will grow faster in the next decade than it has at any other time. Investors who believe this prediction is true are on the lookout for which new entrepreneur to support in creative Salt Lake City.
Companies in Salt Lake City know that the secret to success is to foster those dedicated to their careers in tech. With more than 6,500 startup and tech companies in the region, the city is home to a broad variety of industries. Salt Lake City is also the place to be for tech professionals who want encouragement and support to think outside of the box. With such a robust infrastructure and a unique way of looking at how to elevate the city as a tech hub, tech talent is naturally drawn to a place where they can present their ideas and receive praise for fresh concepts. Many businesses are happy to operate under the radar as they build a progression that makes them strong enough to emerge as winners, surprising those clamoring for attention in other tech hubs. An example of one such unicorn is Qualtrics, which popped into a global spotlight after making a record-breaking deal between SAP and their Utah-born business for a slick $8 billion.
Stories such as Qualtrics’ are the norm in an environment where companies can work on developing areas often overlooked by other crowded markets. Taking the time to collect and analyze data from customer and employee feedback, tech pros are afforded the benefit of having a chance to flesh out creative ways of doing business. This allows techies to spot plentiful opportunities in spaces that many never get a chance to consider when they are pushed to produce work the same way it has always been done.
Chances to advance are given along with support for continuing training, and professionals are widely encouraged to utilize mentors as well as provide mentorship. The way the tech workforce finds elevated and long-lasting success in Salt Lake City is through an environment of collaboration. Tech pros also find that the city is small enough that many decision-makers in companies and as investors have an open-door policy, making it easier to connect than in more crowded tech hubs.
Research by the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute reports that the sector accounted for one in seven jobs in the state and more than 16% of all worker earnings. This is promising news for prospective tech professionals who will have plentiful opportunities in every tech industry when looking to advance or start their careers. There are now an estimated 118,600 jobs in Utah’s tech industry devoted to software, information technology support, ecommerce, and high-tech device manufacturing. Another 50,100 jobs are tech-connected in aerospace, life sciences, and defense. These statistics don’t account for the large number of tech professionals who enjoy consulting and doing freelance work—both attractive options considering how much there is to do in the state outside of office hours.
Many tech professionals find out they want to make their home and career in Salt Lake City while visiting for non-work reasons. Many residents have moved to the area claiming they came for the fun the area has, yet also stayed because of that fun. It’s undeniably an active, outdoor-loving city. The scenery alone is motivating, with stunning mountains bordering the east side and fascinating Salt Lake to the west. Utah is big on showing off what the state has to offer when it comes to skiing, but other outdoor favorites include visiting Arches National Park to the south or any of the other four national parks within a half-day drive. The experience of floating in the Great Salt Lake, so salty that the buoyant water is irresistible, and all activities can be followed up by an excellent meal in one of the trendy restaurants.
A neat thing for locals and visitors alike is spending some time learning about their grandparents. And great grandparents, and even before them, as well as ancestors dating back to Revolutionary War days. The open-to-the-public Family History Library is a repository of the largest collection of family records that often include far more than a family tree. All ages find photos, tidbits of unusual information, and even stories recorded by their relatives they never knew about, and all for free. Many residents enjoy being part of a team that enters tons of data every day to continue to build the stories of American families.
Housing prices are affordable on a tech pro’s salary in Salt Lake City, providing disposable income to be used for the many activities and attractions, or saved for the future since so many things to do in the city are free or low-cost. Sample salaries for tech pros in Salt Lake include Software Engineers, who average $95,000 per year, and Data Scientists, who can find wages that start in the mid $80,000 range.
In Salt Lake City, solid salaries across all tech sectors make acquiring the skills it takes to enter a career in tech a wise investment. There are an amazing amount of technology classes and bootcamps within the Salt Lake City area. More than 200 of the best course offerings from five schools provide in-person, live online, and on-demand course options. For all tech students, schools cover a vast array of subjects in technology, including Design, Digital Marketing, Data-related training, Coding, Business, Web Development, and IT. Two schools, Certstaffix and ONLC, hold classes in a computer lab, pre-loaded with the latest equipment and software, led by a live offsite instructor. Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool, has compiled a list of high-ranking schools to find any tech class a student could want and offers numerous live online classes, too.
Salt Lake City has schools that offer in-person courses and bootcamps in Graphic Design. Highly-ranked institutions in the region include General Assembly, New Horizons, the University of Utah Professional Education Boot Camps, Devmountain, and Tech Academy. Additionally, ONLC and Certstaffix hold classes in state-of-the-art computer labs led by a live offsite instructor. Those wanting to pursue a design career have more than enough options to learn anything they’d like about the field, and many schools also offer live online and on-demand options. Types of programs that can be found include bootcamps/immersives, certificates, and classes, ranging from six hours to twelve weeks in length. Topics across the graphic design spectrum are Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Visual Design, and UX Design.
Schools that offer Data Science bootcamps and classes in Salt Lake City include training locations that provide thirteen in-person and live online courses. Highly-ranked Tech Academy, General Assembly, and New Horizons hold face-to-face options. Certstaffix has its classes in a dedicated computer lab with a live offsite instructor ranging from three hours to 72 weeks, including bootcamps, which dive deeply into hands-on instruction in this fast-growing field. Subjects within the realm of Data Science include Python, SQL, Machine Learning, and R.
For in-person Web Development classes and bootcamps in Salt Lake City, students can choose from multiple classes held by DevPoint Labs, Devmountain, Tech Academy, General Assembly, and New Horizons. Additionally, ONLC and Certstaffix are two top-ranked schools that offer live instruction in a state-of-the-art computer lab with a live offsite instructor. Offerings focus on front-end, back-end or full-stack, coding languages, and WordPress, to name just a few.
There are more than thirty course options presented by three highly-ranked schools to choose from for in-person, live online, and on-demand coding classes and bootcamps in Salt Lake City. These training centers offer live online courses and provide a way for students to take classes from wherever they choose and are close to major thoroughfares. Schools for face-to-face learning in the area are DevPoint Labs, Devmountain, Tech Academy, General Assembly, and the University of Utah Professional Education Boot Camps. Two other schools, ONLC and Certstaffix, hold their coding classes in a dedicated computer lab, with instruction from a live, remote instructor. All courses take students through the learning process step-by-step and provide object-based experiential learning experiences. Students can find coding-related options in Web Development, Data Science, Computer Science, iOS Development, Front-end Development, Back-end Development, Python, JavaScript, Java, SQL, HTML & CSS, and PHP & MySQL. Offerings range from comprehensive and immersive bootcamps to extensive information certificates and classes. Most courses are also available live and online and offer a variety of times and lengths. For more extensive programs, financial assistance is often available.
Those looking for in-person Web Design bootcamps and classes in Salt Lake City can choose from many courses at top-ranked schools Devmountain, the University of Utah Professional Education Boot Camps, General Assembly, Tech Academy, and New Horizons. Two other schools, ONLC and Certstaffix, hold courses in dedicated computer labs, led in real-time by offsite instructors. Topics within web design include Front-end Web Development, Visual Design, UX Design, WordPress, HTML & CSS, JavaScript & jQuery, Sketch, and Adobe XD. Courses include bootcamps and hands-on classes, ranging from three hours to twelve weeks, and are offered in-person, live online, and via on-demand sessions.
Attending a Digital Marketing class or bootcamp in Salt Lake City is a wise investment to get ahead of the competition in the booming digital world. Classes can be found in-person at General Assembly and from ONLC and Certstaffix, two schools that hold courses in a computer lab with a live, remote instructor leading the class. Subjects students can choose from include Google Analytics, Google Ads, SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, and ecommerce.
Salt Lake City is an excellent place to learn Python skills in an in-person bootcamp or class. Highly-rated schools that offer courses include Tech Academy, General Assembly, and New Horizons. Additionally, ONLC and Certstaffix provide classes in a computer lab with pre-loaded professional-level software and led by a live offsite instructor. Python is essential for most careers in technology, and certain professions require knowledge in specific syntaxes of the language. Instruction in Python for all levels and career-related topics can be found throughout the schools listed and offered live online, as well as on-demand by Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool.
Students can choose from Video Editing classes and bootcamps in Salt Lake City at Certstaffix, a school that provides instruction in a computer lab led by a live offsite instructor. Video editing classes are fast-paced, hands-on learning experiences that range from two to ten days. Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool, also offers many courses in video editing that are held live and online. General areas of study in video editing include motion graphics, Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Final Cut Pro.
UX Design bootcamps and classes in Salt Lake City are offered by several schools, including Devmountain, Tech Academy, General Assembly, and the University of Utah Professional Education Boot Camps. All schools offer comprehensive overviews of the user experience (UX) and place particular emphasis on Sketch and Adobe XD. Throughout the courses, students practice UI foundations, including design iteration and development and best practices when working with a product development team.
Students have a choice of many unique in-person and live online Excel classes and bootcamps throughout Salt Lake City. All Excel sessions range from three hours to three days and are provided by local schools, New Horizons and General Assembly, with face-to-face instruction, and ONLC and Certstaffix, two schools that hold sessions in a computer lab led by a live offsite instructor. Further options for Excel and other business-related skills are offered live and online by Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool. The need for Excel skills stretches into most professional career areas, so essential general and specific classes in the software are available face-to-face, live and online, or on-demand.
In business-minded Salt Lake City, it’s essential to keep your team up-to-date with the latest developments in technology. That’s why Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool, provides onsite corporate training in technology. An expert Noble Desktop instructor will arrange a session in a vast array of technical subjects and can provide training at your location. Additionally, a live session can be arranged via a video conferencing platform such as Zoom.
If it is easier for individual employees to attend a class on their own schedule, vouchers can be obtained for them to attend an open enrollment session. There is a discount on the purchase of multiple vouchers. Contact Noble Desktop to arrange a tailored training session for your workplace and employees.