We want to do our best to continue to make Utah a leader in technical expertise. We think this is a really valuable thing that not only helps our company but the community as well.
At the UACTE (Utah Association for Career and Technical Education) awards ceremony on February 5, Landesk was awarded 2016 Business of the Year for the company’s dedication to STEM education in the Utah community.
Sue Urses, Vice President of HR at Landesk, explains that the members of UACTE are impressed with Landesk’s work in the arena of STEM education. “They consider us a leader,” Urses explains.
“We engage in a variety of activities with local schools here,” says Tanner Lindsey, Support Systems Architest for Global Service and co-chair of the internal STEM committee. These activities range from school assemblies to individual classroom presentations.
STEM education is a priority for Landesk CEO Steve Daley who authorized the Landesk HR team to put together a program that allowed employees to give back. Landesk employees may use up to 16 hours a year to go into schools and promote STEM education. Urses estimates that Landesk employees volunteered 1600 hours in 2015 with over 100 employees serving as volunteers. “Our employees are passionate about it,” Urses says. ‘It makes it fun to let them be involved in something meaningful in their communities.”
As part of their volunteer work, several Landesk employees volunteered to teach a beginning computer programming course in the Jordan School District. Since its inception, the program’s enrollment has grown from eight students in one school to hundreds of students across the district. Landesk employees continue to provide mentorship to these classes.
When asked why Landesk is committed to STEM education, Urses explains that investing in STEM is part of being a good corporate citizen. “We want to do our best to continue to make Utah a leader in technical expertise,” she says. “We think this is a really valuable thing that not only helps our company but the community as well.”
As the Utah tech market continues to grow across the state, tech companies struggle to attract and retain qualified employees. “We have to help generate an employee base for the future,” Urses says, explaining that STEM education is the best way to generate that base.
“Without the proper exposure and hands-on experience, students may be unaware of the endless opportunities that emerge from science, technology, engineering and math,” says Steve Daly, LANDESK president and CEO in a statement. “We are dedicated to helping shape the next generation of engineers here in Utah and are honored to be recognized by the UACTE for our efforts.”
Published 3/1/2016
