Local businesses missing out on education grant

Custom Fit is a state-run grant program for business owners. This grant program helps pay for business and employee training, certifications, and skill improvement.
San Juan County is one of the few counties in Utah where Custom Fit will pay up to 50 percent of business training costs. In most of the state, Custom Fit pays for up to 40 percent.
For more than 40 years, Custom Fit has helped provide customized training and training access for businesses.
The Custom Fit mission is to support workforce development and enhance Utah’s economic vitality. Essentially, Custom Fit exists to help provide continuing education to Utah citizens encouraging them to keep learning and improving their skills.
For many years, San Juan County business owners have woefully missed out on the program benefits.
In the last three years, only 39 San Juan County businesses have tapped into the Custom Fit funds to educate themselves, grow their businesses, and support their employees.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates San Juan County has 285 businesses with employees and another 934 businesses without employees or who are sole proprietors.
This means San Juan County has approximately 1219 businesses that could be taking advantage of the Custom Fit program. Only three percent are.
At three percent participation, this program remains largely untapped in San Juan County. That means 97 percent of eligible businesses are not using the program.
More than 1,100 local businesses are leaving state training dollars on the table.
Custom Fit is a reimbursement grant; they pay businesses up to 50 percent of costs upon the completion of qualified training courses.
There are four general guidelines to qualify a training for Custom Fit reimbursement:
The training must have a solid start and stop date.
The training must have a certificate of some kind after completion.
The training must cost more than $100 per employee.
The training cannot be 1:1 coaching or advising.
If a desired training hits all four of those requirements, it can be approved for Custom Fit payment.
Custom Fit grant funds can be used towards employee training or business owner training. A sole proprietor business can apply for the grant as long as they are registered with the state of Utah.
If a business owner is looking to learn about Meta ads, moving their business online, creating an online storefront, managing their finances, or learning how to build a solid business foundation, Custom Fit can help offset the cost of the training program.
If a business is looking to add additional services, certify employees in new skills, or re-certify employees, Custom Fit can also help offset those costs.
Custom Fit will also pay for up to 25 percent of business summits and conferences. Additionally, the help curate requested training programs, workshops, and courses, and connect business owners and employees with local and statewide training programs.
If a business is looking for a specific type of training for their employees they can meet with their Custom Fit office and, together, the Custom Fit Specialist and the business owner can work on solutions to bring the training to the area or offer access through e-learning options.
While helping employees and businesses continue education and gain more skills, Custom Fit is also tracking how their program helps with the retention of existing companies, the opening of new companies, and the growth of the companies they work with.
There are eleven Custom Fit offices throughout Utah that approve and administer grant funds in partnership with the Utah System of Higher Education. These offices are typically housed within technical colleges.
The Custom Fit office for Carbon, Emery, Grand, and San Juan counties is housed within Utah State University with an office in Price and an office in Blanding.
If San Juan County businesses would like to take advantage of this education grant program they can apply through the Southeast Utah Custom Fit website: statewide.usu.edu/custom-fit or by emailing customfitblanding@usu.edu.
Custom Fit funds are still available for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.