Associated Press

      Utah high school seniors are increasingly thinking about skipping college and heading to a technical training center or directly into the work force.
      A recent survey of seniors on their post-high school intentions showed that more students plan to enroll in an applied technology center.
      "In times when the market is pretty active — where it is now — a lot of times they'll go directly into the labor force and then possibly continue the training where they're working," said John Mathews, an economist with the Utah Department of Workforce Services.
      Some 22,600, or 63 percent of the total senior class, filled out the survey this fall. About 74 percent plan some sort of post-secondary education or training, either full or part time. Eighty percent will work, most part time.
      Forty-five percent said they planned to attend a four-year college, down from 50 percent in 1994. Those who want to go to an applied technology center increased from 4 percent in 1997 to about 6 percent this year.
      Tim Collins, career counselor at Hunter High School in West Valley City, said students are becoming more "consumer conscious." Because of the increased attention to occupation planning and the availability of internships, teenagers are better at evaluating what they want.
      "They're making a lot more realistic choices and not just going to college and finding they haven't looked at who they are and what they want to do," Collins said.
      Barbara Lawrence, assessment specialist for the State Office of Education, views the trend positively, because it means students are likely to be setting the stage for their own success.
      "Many kids aren't interested, for example, in general education requirements" at colleges and universities, she said. "They're interested in preparing for a career. The likelihood of completing a program and getting the preparation they need is probably a little higher."
      Administrators say Utah's applied technology centers are nearly bursting with students. The Davis ATC in Kaysville frequently has waiting lists, and the Wasatch Front South ATC, which serves Salt Lake and Tooele counties, is building a separate facility because it has outgrown its space in existing high schools.
      At the same time, more employers want skilled workers, said Jason Bagley, program manager for the WFSATC. He said 60 percent of today's jobs require skills, while only 20 percent demand a bachelor's degree or higher.
      "Everything we do is geared toward that forgotten half, the half that nobody talks about, the half that doesn't go to college," Bagley said.
      At the Davis ATC, students pay $1,000 a year to study 30 hours a week. University of Utah students pay $2,351 at resident rates.
      A growing number of students view the ATCs as a stepping stone to academia, said Franciska Meacham, spokeswoman for the Davis ATC. Students can figure out what they want to study, get a certificate in less than a year and make enough money to pay their college tuition.