BATC :: General Information

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General Information

History

Bridgerland Applied Technology College {BATC} is one of the nine applied technology college campuses in the state of Utah. It was officially organized under the State Board of Vocational Education and funded by appropriations from the Utah State Legislature in January of 1971. A special session of the Utah State Legislature in June 2001 restructured the governance of this campus and established Bridgerland Applied Technology College, a Utah College of Applied Technology {UCAT} Campus.

Bridgerland Applied Technology College programs generally feature an open-entry / open-exit competency-based individualized learning and teaching model. This model is a progressive educational tool unique to the Utah College of Applied Technology and its campuses.

Associate Degrees

The Board of Regents has approved three Associate of Applied Technology degrees: Computer Aided Drafting and Design, Information Technology, and Medical Assisting. All three are available at Bridgerland Applied Technology College. Additional Associate of Applied Technology degrees are under development with the Utah College of Applied Technology Board and the Utah State Board of Regents.

Accreditation

Bridgerland Applied Technology College is accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education (COE), 41 Perimeter Center East, NE, Suite 640, Atlanta, GA 30346,
(800) 917-2081 or (770) 396-3898. The COE Web site is www.council.org. In addition, BATC is also accredited by the Commission on Schools of the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools under the category of Special Purpose School.

Technical Education

Technical education encompasses a tremendous variety of programs designed to equip students with career and life skills. At the national level, applied technology education programs are offered by some 26,000 high schools, community colleges, and technical institutions. Each year, millions of adults enroll in technical programs to acquire basic work skills, retrain for new jobs, and keep up with changing technological requirements of the workplace.

Technical education is important because of a widening skills gap in the nation’s workforce. Technical education prepares students for more than 400 occupations, including 18 of the 20 fastest growing occupations. The technical educators at BATC work closely with employers to ensure students have the skills the labor market demands.