1. (1) "Co-op employee" means a student who participates in a cooperative education program and is employed by a participating cooperative education employer.
2. (2) "Cooperative education employer" means a business or organization participating in the cooperative education program that provides structured work opportunities for students.
3. (3) "Cooperative education program" or "co-op" means a structured educational pilot program that integrates academic learning with full-time paid work experience aligned with the student's academic discipline and career goals.

4. (4) "High-demand job" means an occupation or position that:

   1. (a) has a higher than average projected growth rate in Utah;
   2. (b) offers wages at or above the state median wage;
   3. (c) follows star ranking criteria established by the Department of Workforce Services; and
   4. (d) considers occupations that have a high societal demand and impact.

5. (5) "Participating institution" means the following institutions of higher education:

   1. (a) Weber State University;
   2. (b) University of Utah;
   3. (c) Southern Utah University;
   4. (d) Utah State University;
   5. (e) Utah Tech University; and
   6. (f) Utah Valley University.
6. (6) "Recent graduate" means a graduate of a program or degree within a year of completion.
7. (7) "Talent portal" means the Utah High-Demand Talent Portal created in Section 53H-13-402.
8. (8) "Talent portal administrator" means the Talent, Education, and Industry Alignment Board created in Section 53H-13-302.
9. (9) "Talent Ready Utah" means the program within the Utah System of Higher Education established in Section 53H-13-303.

Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 8, 2025 Special Session 1