The event was the third annual Growth & Prosperity Summit, which was held at Utah Valley University and hosted by the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce. Presentations at the summit featured experts addressing topics such as housing, transportation, education, health care, natural resources and the valley’s business climate.

The goal of the annual summit is to provide a forum where participants can discuss and promote ways to support, protect and enhance Utah Valley’s quality of life as it experiences an astounding increase in population. It is anticipated that Utah County will be home to 1.6 million people by 2065.

I’ve been a part of the Growth & Prosperity Summit since its beginning, and the 2023 summit was the largest so far. Each year, I’ve witnessed an amazing amount of engagement and involvement from key stakeholders and community leaders.

They come together for this event because they care about the future of our valley and want to ensure it is well-positioned for the growth that is coming.

As an associate vice president at UVU, I am particularly concerned with the area of education — both from the students’ perspective and the view of businesses looking to hire those students. With two major universities here serving more than 70,000 students, the opportunity for obtaining education is strong here. However, are students being taught the skills required by our local employers? Are they being encouraged to follow their own path and found their own companies?

The answer to both these questions is yes, as was highlighted during a discussion I moderated during the 2023 Growth & Prosperity Summit. It featured Robert Allen, dean of the UVU Woodbury School of Business, and Brigitte Madrian, dean of the Brigham Young University Marriott School of Business.

Both deans said they are very optimistic about the economic outlook for both Utah County and the state of Utah, and they are confident in the preparation of their students to become productive members of the workforce and society. Both universities are positioned to meet the needs of students while remaining flexible enough to adapt to future needs.

For example, UVU recently organized its CEO Jobs Council. This group of Utah CEOs and business leaders meets regularly to talk with school representatives about how the university can better prepare students to meet their companies’ needs as employees. UVU has also been working hard during the last few years to increase the number of graduates in high-demand fields such as engineering, teaching and nursing.

Allen and Madrian discussed how Utah is becoming a hub for entrepreneurship. Both universities are firmly focused on encouraging this entrepreneurial spirit; both have institutes of entrepreneurship, offer courses tailored toward entrepreneurism and provide resources to support blossoming businesses.

This is particularly important as Utah has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as having the No. 1 economy in the country. It was ranked seventh for business environment, second for growth and No. 1 for employment.

Of course, there is always room for improvement. Educational institutions need to continue to align themselves with business to provide the education and training that will make both students and businesses successful. Utah already does well at providing quality education at a low cost, but we need to continue to find ways to address workforce needs while enabling students to complete their education in a timely manner without accruing a large amount of debt.

Our state, and our valley, are currently economic leaders in the nation and the envy of many. Through continuing to work and plan together, we can maintain and strengthen Utah’s business climate while ensuring our children and grandchildren have the opportunity to experience the same quality of life that we enjoy here.

Steve Anderson is the associate vice president for university relations at Utah Valley University.