Salt Lake City, UT — December 11, 2025 — Columbus Community Center, in partnership with the Utah Manufacturers Association (UMA) and Salt Lake Community College (SLCC), is proud to announce the graduation of the first cohort of the Utah Uniquely Abled Machinist Program (UAMP). This inaugural group of six individuals has successfully completed a 12-week CNC Machine Operation training program and is now ready to step into entry-level roles in Utah’s high-demand manufacturing sector. Three more cohorts are planned for 2026.
“This program is a win-win scenario for our community,” said Johnny Ferry, President and CEO of Utah Manufacturers Association. “Our industry gets reliable, skilled employees and those employees are introduced to a job and have the support that allows them to thrive.”
Funded through a Return to Work Grant from Talent Ready Utah, UAMP brings a nationally proven model to Utah, preparing uniquely abled adults—specifically individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)—for skilled, well-paying careers in advanced manufacturing. The program’s wraparound support model includes 300 hours of technical machining instruction delivered by SLCC and job readiness, coaching, and workplace preparationprovided by Columbus Community Center.
“Utah’s manufacturing industry is growing rapidly, and employers need skilled talent,” said Columbus Community Center CEO Kristy Chambers. “This program not only fills that pipeline but does so by unlocking the strengths of neurodiverse individuals—precision, focus, reliability, and exceptional pattern recognition.”
Nationally, the Uniquely Abled Academy has 32 programs throughout the United States, graduated 350, with an average of 85% job placement success rate. Program managers worked with Utah manufacturers to determine what specific positions are needed in the workforce – including CNC operators, machinist apprentices, and mill/lathe technicians – and then trained the cohort to meet that need with the goal of a 100% job placement rate.
Contact:
Name: Amy Wadsworth, Director
Company: Columbus Community Center – NextWork Autism Academy
Phone: 801-243-6097
Email: awadsworth@columbusserves.org
Job Fair & Graduation Celebration
To introduce these newly trained machinists to local employers, Columbus and its partners will host a UAMP Job Fair & Graduation Celebration:
Date: Friday, December 19, 2025
Time: 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Location: NEXTWORK, 3848 South West Temple, Suite 107, Salt Lake City, Utah