SkillCo (Orem, UT) is expanding its skills-to-career platform after securing renewed support from UVU and raising $300K. It aims to turn the traditional degree into a skill based portfolio that connects education directly to careers, and helping Utah remain a leader in outcome-driven higher ed.
Orem, Utah — July 16, 2025
SkillCo, the Orem, Utah-based edtech startup helping students make more informed educational and career decisions, has raised $300,000 in new funding and renewed its flagship partnership with Utah Valley University (UVU), the largest public university in the state, for a second academic year. The pre-seed funding comes from a mix of angel investors, Zions Bank, and early-stage Utah funds.
“In my 20+ years of experience in education, I've observed a common critical gap between academic learning and industry requirements," said one of the investors, Jon Westover, who is an Associate Dean and Director of HR Academic Programs, at Western Governors University. "What makes SkillCo exceptional is their ability to bridge this divide with practical, technology-driven solutions and mapping student skill and competency development across their educational experiences. Their recent funding isn't just a business milestone—it represents a meaningful investment in transforming how we prepare talent for today's workforce challenges. The industry desperately needs this kind of innovation to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape."
Launched in 2022 and profiled by TechBuzz in October 2024, SkillCo has rapidly grown from beta to university-wide adoption — now serving more than 1,000 students (up from 150 last year) and gaining traction among faculty, administrators, and hiring managers alike.
“We’re building a really cool student experience,” said SkillCo founder and CEO Steve Lockhart, who recently sat down with TechBuzz to share the latest update. “The engagement numbers are through the roof — and with engagement comes retention, and with retention comes completion.”
Connecting Career Goals to Coursework
SkillCo helps students translate classroom experiences into job-readiness by guiding them to identify their desired careers and then mapping the courses and skills required to get there. The platform adapts to where students are in their journey — whether they’re exploring majors or prepping for internships and job interviews.
“The average student changes majors over two times,” said Lockhart. “When they do, SkillCo helps them see what they’ve already completed, how far along they are in other programs, and which career outcomes align with those choices. That way, they don’t reset the clock every time they pivot.”
SkillCo also offers a distinctive digital portfolio feature — the “Project Page” — where students upload classroom work, describe their contributions, and tag the skills they used. These skills then generate a verified resume linked to actual coursework and achievements.
Employers Want Proof, Not Just Potential
The verified resume model resonated with hiring managers, but they also asked for something more tangible. As Lockhart recalled, one HR leader at Texas Instruments posed a key question: “C’s get degrees — how do I know this student can actually do the work?”
That insight led to the expanded Project Page concept, now a central feature of SkillCo. “We’ve had students posting entrepreneurial projects, in-class case work, even on-the-job experiences,” said Lockhart. “It’s what employers want — proof that the candidate can think, build, and problem-solve.”
Deepening Roots at UVU
SkillCo’s largest institutional customer, Utah Valley University (UVU), continues to expand its use of the platform across multiple departments. Academic advisors, internship coordinators, and faculty from various colleges are adopting the tool to better guide students from enrollment through graduation and into the workforce.
“As a career strategist, my goal is to help students confidently prepare for the workforce, and SkillCo supports this process in an intentional, impactful way,” said Richelle Andersen, Assistant Dean of the Woodbury School of Business at UVU. “Unlike traditional self-reflective tools, SkillCo empowers students to take control of their future by showing them how their courses connect directly to real-world career paths. It gives both students and educators the clarity to focus learning around the practical, problem-solving skills today's employers demand.”
“SkillCo is aligned with our college’s focus of helping students identify the skills they gain throughout their educational journey and presents them with potential career paths,” said Steven Clark, Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at UVU.
“SkillCo is a great tool for students preparing to do internships,” said McKay Isham, Director of Internship Services at UVU. “Students can enter an interview better prepared with legitimate skills they may have developed through past and current coursework. This provides real-time skill development that can be leaned on during tough interview questions or added to a resume. Knowledge is power, and self-evaluation can be hard for someone entering the workforce. SkillCo assists with both.”
Following strong student engagement during the 2024–25 academic year, UVU has renewed its contract with SkillCo for 2025–26 and plans to deepen adoption across additional departments and student services.
Moving into High Schools
SkillCo now plans to expand its footprint. Lockhart indicated early-stage conversations are underway with Utah high schools interested in helping students map potential careers and corresponding post-secondary pathways — before they ever register for college courses.
“We want to help students make informed decisions earlier,” stated Lockhart. “If we can guide them before they even enroll — whether that’s in college, tech programs, or alternative training — we can dramatically reduce attrition, student debt, and uncertainty.”
Tyler Clancy, Utah State Representative (Provo), said, “Skillco is a great example of the kind of innovation we need to keep Utah’s education system at the forefront. By making education more skill-focused and transparent, Skillco helps students, educators, and employers align around real outcomes. This solution gives Utah students a clearer path to good jobs and helps our state build the skilled workforce our growing economy needs.”
New Funding Fuels Product Expansion
The company has recently added a marketing director and continues hiring for its engineering team. A redesigned student dashboard and updated Project Page UX are in the pipeline, along with a video demo to help students and faculty see the platform in action.
“We’re not just tracking degrees — we’re redefining what a degree means in today’s economy,” said Lockhart. “It's no longer that a student will go to college for four years and graduate with a piece of paper. We're allowing them to graduate with a skill set that's diverse, that allows them to go into the workforce in such a more unique way than any other candidate coming from any other university."
For more information, view video above or visit skillco.com.