Utah State Board of Education Selects YouScience to Deliver Statewide College and Career Readiness Platform

Brightpath expansion powers Utah's first credential policy with longitudinal planning, credential tracking, and postsecondary alignment

SALT LAKE CITY, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Utah State Board of Education has selected YouScience^® to deliver the First Credential Career Mapping Tool, a statewide college and career readiness system designed to power implementation of HB 260 and strengthen education-to-workforce alignment across Utah.

HB 260, sponsored by Rep. Val L. Peterson and Sen. Ann Millner, requires Utah students to graduate with a meaningful "first credential" that is stackable, connected to postsecondary credit, and aligned to workforce demand. The legislation moves beyond career exposure to verified readiness, creating clearer pathways for direct enrollment into Utah's public colleges, technical institutions, and high-wage career opportunities.

The state sought a unified, statewide system capable of aptitude-based career guidance, longitudinal planning, automated credential tracking, postsecondary alignment, and real-time compliance reporting.

YouScience, the leading education technology company transforming college and career readiness through its award-winning platform YouScience^® Brightpath, has been selected to deliver that infrastructure statewide.

Because Brightpath is already deployed across Utah, the First Credential Career Mapping Tool builds on an established operational foundation. The expanded platform will connect middle school, high school, postsecondary, and workforce systems into a single longitudinal planning engine designed to reduce administrative burden while increasing student ownership and transparency.

"This initiative reflects Utah's commitment to ensuring every student graduates with verified skills and a clear path to postsecondary success," said Jonathan Frey, CTE Coordinator, Career & Technical Education, Utah State Board of Education. "By providing a statewide mapping tool to support the requirements of HB 260, we are helping students better align their education with high-demand career opportunities and strengthening the state's workforce pipeline."

Through this expansion of Brightpath, Utah will gain:

• Longitudinal, aptitude-based college and career planning from middle school through graduation, connecting aptitude discovery to courses, credentials, work-based learning, and postsecondary pathways.
   
• Automated graduation and credential tracking, including concentrator status and stackable credential progress aligned to state requirements.
   
• Master Credential List alignment, providing clear visibility into how high school credentials translate into postsecondary credit and workforce value.
   
• Utah System of Higher Education integration, offering insight into scholarship eligibility and alignment with Admit Utah.
   
• Expanded Family Connect capabilities, giving parents secure access to aptitude results, plans, and pathway progress.
   
• Deeper SIS and UTREx integrations, including expanded two-way data functionality.
   
• State and district dashboards, delivering real-time compliance, utilization, and credential tracking through a single source of truth.

Rather than adding another tool, Utah is establishing a statewide backbone for education-to-career alignment. The system will streamline compliance reporting, reduce manual counselor workload, and provide transparent insight into how student choices connect to real economic opportunity.

Utah now joins a small group of states leading the nation in operationalizing first credential policy through a unified statewide system. By connecting legislative mandate with technological infrastructure, the state is creating a replicable model for aligning secondary education, postsecondary systems, and workforce demand.

"This is about more than technology," said Edson Barton, CEO and co-founder of YouScience. "Utah is demonstrating what it looks like to move from policy to practice. By creating a unified, longitudinal system, the state is ensuring students graduate not only with a diploma, but with verified credentials connected to real opportunity. We are proud to partner with Utah to deliver this next phase of Brightpath and help strengthen the state's education-to-workforce pipeline."

Phased delivery of the First Credential Career Mapping Tool will begin immediately, with full operational readiness anticipated during the 2026–2027 school year.

About YouScience^®
YouScience^® is the leading education technology company dedicated to empowering individuals with the data and credentials needed to succeed in school, career, and life. Its award-winning platform, YouScience^® Brightpath, is the only College & Career Readiness solution built for both compliance and impact–powered by scientifically backed aptitude discovery, industry-recognized certifications, and meaningful career connections. By leveraging cutting-edge research, AI, and industry collaboration, YouScience helps individuals uncover their unique talents, validate their skills, and connect with in-demand educational and career pathways. YouScience has served more than 13,400 educational institutions and millions of users nationwide, making it the preferred choice for individuals, parents, educators, and counselors to achieve real outcomes through education and career pathways.

SOURCE YouScience