OREM -- Utah County offers a wide range of education and training opportunities, but UCC might be a new name for many residents.

Utah Career College in Orem opened its doors to students last fall, and as its name states, it's focused on giving individuals the skills and training they need to jump right into the work force. And with workers facing layoffs in the stagnant economy, more and more people may be looking to make a quick career change.

Located just off the 800 North freeway interchange on 1200 West near Northgate Village, the for-profit school offers four Bachelor of Science degrees, 10 associate degree programs and four diploma certification programs in the primary fields of business and accounting, health sciences, information technology and legal science. Formerly The Bryman School, the college was established in 1977 in Salt Lake City. It also has campuses in West Jordan and Layton.

"Our vet tech program is the most popular. We're the only accredited program in the state," said UCC Orem campus director Adam John. "The medical assistant program, right now, is our second largest."

The two-floor, 3,000-square-foot Orem UCC building has a faculty of 15 and offers both day and night coursework. John said Orem was selected as the college's newest location because Utah Valley residents put such a premium on attaining an education.

"You have to have a population, but you also have to have a population that values and desires education," he said. "All those things came together."

Khristy McCombs of Orem is a single mother of three children and is currently pursuing a medical assistant degree at UCC. She is now a massage therapist.

"I checked out quite a few schools. I like the location, and I liked the feeling it had when I first checked it out," she said. "Everyone is cordial. I like the program and how they have it set up."

A student-teacher ratio at UCC of 10-to-1 helps attract students who prefer more personalized classroom attention, John said, as does its service-learning approach, in which students provide service projects in their fields to the community to enhance their learning experience.

The school also has a career services department that helps students network to find job openings, write resumes and develop proficient job interview skills, he said. A program advisory committee composed of business owners and leaders reviews UCC's programs every six months to make sure they're offering the types of programs that are in high demand in the job market.

"For-profit education has a certain stigma," John said. "I would invite anybody wondering what we have to come see campus. Take a tour," he said. "It's been my experience that most people that see the school and what we offer fall in love with it very quickly."

This fall, UCC is adding an associate degree in criminal justice and hopes to in the future add master's degree programs, including a Master of Business Administration, John said.

Amy Hatch, 23, a single mother who lives in Orem with her two children, is enrolled in UCC's massage therapy certification track. She chose the school for its close proximity to her home. Her experience thus far at the career college has been positive, and she has few concerns about finding work once she completes her certificate.

"There's so many places that are really hiring," Hatch said.

On the Net:

• Utah Career College: www.utahcollege.edu

• College Scholarships for Career and Technical Colleges in Utah: www.college-scholarships.com/utah_career.htm