Utah’s partner in education since 2006

Elevating Utah students to succeed and lead

Throughout Utah, students are empowered to discover their own unique aptitudes with YouScience Brightpath^®, the only aptitude-based guidance platform designed to help all students find their personalized pathways.

Utah first credential starts here

Connecting Utah students to credentials, pathways, and opportunity

The Utah First Credential Program ensures every Utah student can graduate high school with a meaningful, industry-recognized credential. Powered by YouScience Brightpath^®, the program’s Career Mapping Tool connects a student’s aptitudes, interests, and coursework directly to their career goals, creating a clear pathway from education to employment.

A connected path from planning to credentials

For educators and districts, the First Credential Tool is designed to simplify planning, strengthen visibility, and support more consistent implementation across schools.

Secures opportunity for each learner by providing clear, supported pathways to college and career that include technical and durable skills.

Strengthens Utah’s education system by aligning tools and efforts to modernize programs, reduce duplication, and expand offerings.

Builds a reliable talent pipeline for Utah’s high-demand industries, ensuring job-ready graduates.

Drives long-term economic competitiveness by aligning education with employer demands and fostering statewide prosperity.

See how it works

Follow Maria’s journey from 7th grade through postsecondary as she uses the First Credential Tool to discover her aptitudes, explore aligned career pathways, earn industry-recognized credentials, gain real-world experience, and graduate with a clear plan for her future.

Support for everyone involved in the student journey

The First Credential Tool, powered by Brightpath, is designed to support the people who help students turn career exploration into actionable plans, including counselors, CTE leaders, administrators, families, and students.

For students

$Build personalized plans that connect aptitudes, interests, coursework, credentials, and goals to future opportunities.

For counselors and educators

$View student plans, guide course decisions, document progress, and support more informed planning conversations.

For administrators

$Track planning progress, CTE participation, credential attainment, and readiness data to identify gaps and guide decisions.

For families

$View and comment on student plans to better understand how courses, credentials, and goals connect.

For CTE leaders

$Gain visibility into CTE pathways, credential progress, and workforce-aligned opportunities to strengthen student outcomes.

First Credential Program planned rollout phases

The First Credential Tool will roll out in phases so schools, educators, students, and families can gain access to new functionality over time. Each phase is designed to build toward a more connected planning, credential tracking, and reporting experience.

The 2026 school year will serve as a pilot year, with implementation and feedback helping inform full statewide rollout in the 2026–27 school year.

phase one snapshot results and middle school student

Phase 1: Career planning foundation

Target timing: Summer 2026

Build personalized career plans informed by student aptitudes, interests, coursework, and goals.
Map four-year course plans connected to credentials and postsecondary opportunities.
Give families and counselors visibility into student plans and progress.

Phase 2: Counselor tools, dashboards, and credential tracking

Target timing: Fall 2026

Support counselor review, approval, and guidance of student course plans.
Track CTE participation, credential progress, concurrent enrollment, and apprenticeship pathways.
Give district leaders dashboards for planning progress and credential attainment.

phase 2 counselor dashboard and bingham track graduation requirements

YS Product Screenshots ALL Career description

Phase 3: Postsecondary connections and statewide reporting

Target timing: Late 2026 into early 2027

Show how earned credits apply toward college degrees and technical certificates.
Surface scholarship eligibility and credential pathways connected to future opportunities.
Support statewide reporting and readiness insights for district and state leaders.

How Brightpath powers the experience

Brightpath helps students move from self-discovery to action. With one connected platform, students can understand their aptitudes, explore aligned careers, plan courses, earn industry-recognized certifications, build resumes, and connect to education and career opportunities.

Aptitude & Career Discovery

Help students understand their aptitudes and interests, and connect them to best-fit careers

Career and course planning

Help students map coursework, goals, and next steps in a personalized plan, with family visibility through Family Connect

Industry-recognized certifications

Validate student skills, create resumes, and connect learning to workforce readiness through employer-recognized certifications

Work-based learning

Support meaningful experiences that help students apply their skills in real-world settings including internships and apprenticeships

Data and reporting

Give educators and leaders visibility into progress, participation, and outcomes at the classroom, school, and district level

College and career connection

Future planning through college exploration, including Common App, and direct access to employers and career opportunities

A strong foundation across Utah

Across Utah, educators are already using YouScience to help students discover their aptitudes, explore future pathways, earn certifications, and connect classroom learning to real opportunities.

Discovery users to date

certifications have been administered to Utah students to date.

student usage has tripled in the last three years.

“Having a comprehensive platform that helps us connect what students are learning in the classroom with real-world career opportunities turns education into a tangible experience. Local employers also like YouScience Brightpath^® because they can meet with students, who have the aptitudes and certifications they need, to start building a talent pipeline.”

Thalea Longhurst State Director, Career & Technical Education | UTAH STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

“CTE teachers who have gained some exposure to YouScience are extremely supportive of implementing, taking some assessments and using YouScience in their classroom. Our CTE internship teacher has made it part of her curriculum. Overall, it has been a positive resource to provide to students!”

Maja Stocking, School Counselor, Timpanogos High School

“YouScience has been completely transformative already and we are just barely scratching the surface of what it can provide to our students. We as school counselors are constantly looking at systemic approaches to our programs and I truly believe that YouScience helps our counseling department become more proficient in systemic approaches to College and Career Readiness.”

Alexis Stokes, School Counselor, Orion Junior High School

“YouScience is a valuable resource for students in Utah. Of all of the student aptitude and career discovery tools I’ve seen, this one is the most robust and relevant. UMA and the UMA Foundation are thrilled to partner with YouScience and utilize the tool and data to help match deserving students into youth apprenticeship programs that will set them on a path for success.”

Megan Ware, Director of Workforce Development, Utah Manufacturers Association (UMA), Executive Director UMA Foundation

“Through our partnership with YouScience, we have created an effective, long-term solution that helps to address the workforce shortages in Utah’s aerospace, defense and cyber industries. YouScience helps us achieve our mission to foster talent by connecting our members with job seekers who have the relevant aptitudes and interests best suited for these highly sought-after careers.”

Aaron Starks, President and CEO at 47G

Resources for Utah

student using whiteboard to solve problem

Read the Utah Female Talent Report

Learn more

Watch a case study with Granite School District

Learn more

Jordan School District case study

How Jordan School District uses data to power purposeful career fairs

Learn more

FutureFWD conference industry panel

Learn more

Watch Jordan School District featured on KSL

Learn more

Listen to YouScience featured on the Utah School Counselor Association Podcast

The Sounding Board

Learn more

From exposure to opportunity: how Utah is connecting students to high-tech careers

Northbound Utah

Learn more

YouScience is your dedicated, Utah-based, education partner

YouScience has been a dedicated and strategic partner with a deep understanding of Utah’s needs for more than 20 years.

Kellie Openshaw, Utah State Director

kellie.openshaw@youscience.com
801-653-0759

Paul Ashby, Customer Success Manager, Utah

paul.ashby@youscience.com
385-273-0747

Dedicated partner

As a Utah-based company, YouScience understands the state’s education priorities and is committed to helping schools successfully implement the First Credential Program.

Unlimited access

Educators have unlimited access to easy-to-use online resources, as well as a dedicated team that will guide them as much as they need.

Knowledgeable support team

YouScience offers one of the best and most responsive support teams in EdTech. When you reach out to connect with us, you’re connected with a real, US-based support team. We proudly average a customer satisfaction rating (CSAT) of 93 out of 100.

U.S.-based company

Our team is deeply knowledgeable in the US education space and its accompanying legal, regulatory, and practical complexities; many are former educators, counselors, and administrators. We’re deeply passionate about our mission to empower educators and students.