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Fall 2025, Vol. 8, Iss. 19 | |
If someone you know could benefit from remote work, please forward this newsletter to them
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Building Confidence Through Career Change
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Meet Leesa Liddell, a correctional officer from Tooele and our Student of the Month! Her dedication to learning and application of remote work skills stand out in her demanding work environment. Leesa joined the Certified Remote Work Professional© course to build new skills, create better work-life balance, and actively engage in her learning, even volunteering her résumé to be reviewed in an ROI workshop for feedback and growth.
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Leesa has already begun using time management, productivity, and communication strategies from the course in her daily work at the state prison.
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| "Being in a virtual classroom of people with a similar goal was very motivating," she said. "The program specialists are super knowledgeable and dedicated to helping their students. Changing careers can be stressful, especially while starting a marketing business, but being in the class has kept me hopeful and confident that I will find what I am looking for." | |
ROI students like Leesa are finding success applying what they learn to build more balanced and flexible careers.
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In the Community: Connecting Across Utah | |
Our team distributed throughout the state and we're committed to being present in every Utah community. Over the past month, the Rural Online Initiative (ROI) team has connected with partners, residents, and local leaders in Carbon, Cache, Iron, Juab, Millard, Rich, Salt Lake, San Juan, and Uintah counties. | |
We were at the One Utah Summit in Cedar City (Oct. 6–8) and you can find us at the Eastern Utah Economic Summit at USU Eastern in Price (Oct. 13–14). | | | |
We love meeting community members, sharing success stories, and showing how remote work is impacting Utah’s rural economy. Through our E-Commerce Accelerator (ECA) program, we provide technical assistance to help small and agricultural businesses grow online. We also support Utahns through our résumé critiques, professional development discussions, and other self-paced learning opportunities that build skills and connections statewide. | |
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Sharing ROI's Success Nationwide | |
Utah State University Extension presented new research at the Federal Reserve Bank’s Digital Access Research Forum in Kansas City, Missouri, this month. | |
The research, "Extension Education for Economic Development: Evaluating Workforce Development Training for Rural Utah Residents," was authored by Dr. Amanda D. Ali, data scientist; Dr. Paul A. Hill, USU Extension professor and ROI program director; and Dr. Dominic C. Bria, associate program director. | |
The study highlighted how ROI workforce training courses are helping Utahns successfully build digital skills and connect to remote job opportunities. "This work demonstrates how specialized, research-based training can open doors to quality remote jobs for Utah's rural residents," Hill said. | |
Since launching in 2018, ROI has trained more than 4,500 Utahns statewide in remote work and e-commerce, helping strengthen local economies. | |
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Workforce Trends: Why "Job Hugging" Beats Job Hopping | |
More professionals are discovering that the smartest career move isn't leaving; it's growing where they are. Instead of chasing the next offer, workers are choosing to "job hug," developing new skills, taking on visible projects, and proving long-term value in their current roles.
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Reports from the Federal Reserve show that employees who invest in professional growth, reliability, and contribution gain stronger career stability and better advancement opportunities. In today’s market, staying and growing leads to greater long-term success and satisfaction than switching roles.
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That's exactly what ROI teaches: investing in yourself strengthens both your career and your community. | |
Through the Certified Remote Work Leader© course, participants learn strategies to lead remote or hybrid teams through online lessons and weekly virtual workshops that strengthen communication, collaboration, and performance.
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Whether you're leading a team or preparing for your next career move, success right now looks like growing where you are.
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Practical takeaways for leaders: - Encourage team growth through professional development.
- Build loyalty with trust, visibility and consistency.
- Lead by example and invest in leadership skills.
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Skills That Set You Apart in an AI World | |
Technology is changing fast, but the qualities that make people indispensable are staying the same. In a world where automation can handle many tasks, it’s the human skills like such as creativity, communication, and empathy that continue to give professionals an edge.
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A study from MIT highlights five traits, summarized by the acronym EPOCH, that define the work humans do best:
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- Empathy and emotional intelligence
- Presence, networking, and connectedness
- Opinion, judgment, and ethics
- Creativity and imagination
- Hope, vision, and leadership
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At ROI, we help Utahns strengthen these same capabilities through our Certified Remote Work Professional© course, where participants learn to communicate effectively, collaborate across distances, adapt to new technologies, and develop skills that make them resilient and ready for the future of work.
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Employer Workforce Survey: Share Your Perspective | |
What truly prepares new hires for success? Utah State University Extension is partnering with Utah employers to identify the skills and experiences that matter most for long-term success in today’s workplace.
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If you haven’t yet taken the Employer Workforce Survey, there’s still time to share your insights. The anonymous survey takes just 6 to 8 minutes to complete and will help guide future degree programs, micro-credentials, and partnerships that strengthen Utah’s workforce.
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Have a success story or testimonial to share?
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We’d love to hear how ROI has made a difference in your journey.
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Know a friend or colleague who would like to receive monthly updates on Utah State University's Rural Online Initiative? Please share this email with them.
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Together with our students, partners, and community supporters, we’re building opportunities across rural Utah. Thank you for being part of it. Our team of program specialists, coordinators, and researchers work together to strengthen Utah's rural workforce through remote work and digital economy education.
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© 2025 Utah State University | |
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