Dixie Tech receives ‘vital’ $930K grant to expand skilled trades education

ST. GEORGE — Southwest Utah is home to some of the fastest-growing metros in the nation, with St. George and Cedar City each named as top-10 fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the U.S., according to population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau in March.

And in percentage growth, three Washington County communities — Ivins, Hurricane and Washington — were among the state’s 10 fastest-growing towns and cities between mid-2024 and mid-2025.

Other reading: Ukrainian refugee murdered in North Carolina to be buried in St. George

Accounting for that growth means meeting ever-increasing workforce demands, something Dixie Technical College is hoping to address with the help of a $930,000 grant from the Lowe’s Foundation.

The nearly million-dollar grant will be used to expand electrical, HVAC and plumbing training at the college “to help meet workforce demand driven by Utah’s growing infrastructure and data center industries,” according to a release from the foundation.

Additionally, it will support mobile training lab building-systems equipment and hands-on learning experiences to boost daily campus instruction while simultaneously expanding access to skilled trades training for students in rural communities.

Dixie Tech was one of only 10 colleges in the nation selected to receive grant funds from this year’s nearly $8 million grant pool.

“This vital funding will directly accelerate the growth of our construction and apprenticeship programs, opening doors to high-paying, fulfilling careers for our students. In Lowe’s, we have found a genuine partner who shares our vision of transforming lives through technical education and strengthening our community and economy,” Dixie Tech President Jordan Rushton said in a statement.